The Moon Rose
by Laina Inverse
Summary: Fifteen years after BnR, Claire and Skye have a happy family life. Claire is disturbed by strange, prophetic dreams, which eventually lead straight back to Skye's Moon-family. Will they be able to solve this problem before more victims are claimed?
1. March 2, Spring, year 36

**­March 2, Spring, year 36**

Mmm, new journal. Amazing how habitual this has become. Get a journal for my birthday, use it to record my thoughts of the year… I blame Muffy! Hehe… She _did_ start this off after all. Though it was New Years then, not my birthday.

…It's sometimes hard to believe that it's been fifteen years since I started working the farm. Some days I wake up feeling like I've only _just_ begun, and other days I wake up and it feels like it's been my whole _lifetime_.

Not that this is initially a _bad_ thing. I rather like the feeling of it being a brand new day with brand new challenges to tackle.

Like getting Alan to actually finish weeding the newly planted seeds. I _swear_ that boy will be the death of me. He should have been born Rock's son! Such a lazy little boy.

Ah, I shouldn't complain. He's at least _trying_ to help out. And he's only nine, I should give him more of a break. I keep thinking I didn't work Jamie or Laurie so hard when they were nine… but that could just be my mind playing tricks on me in my dotage.

Hah, Skye's laughing at me now. Says I'm still just as young and cute as I always was. Flatterer.

He's still the same, no matter how much time has passed. Maybe a little more genuine in his happiness, but still sweet and suave. His hair has gotten longer too, now that I think about it… which reminds me I ought to cut mine again, it grows too dang fast!

The girls do love to play with it though. Mirei likes brushing it, Laurie likes braiding it and Meri just likes holding onto it. Sometimes I think it's like a leash instead of just hair.

Five kids… I blame the Harvest Goddess for the two pairs of twins… Meredith is actually my first single birth, and I intend to have her be my _last_ one as well. My house is getting rather crowded, with Jamie and Alan sharing a room, and Laurie sharing my old room with Mirei. I've been trying to figure out where Meredith will sleep once she outgrows sleeping with her father and me.

I may end up needing to hire Gotz so that I can build another room, or extend the girl's room somewhat… And Skye wonders why I don't want any more kids.

I think, sometimes, about the future. Farther along than the next day, I mean. Past when I'm gone. It's natural for kids to outlive their mother, but Skye will outlive them all as well… I wonder how that makes him feel. There are days where I'll see him lean on his hoe and just stare off into space.

It worries me, but I can't exactly do anything about it. I'm human after all, not one of the long-lived People of the Moon. I don't want to ask him about it either, since I don't want to see him upset.

I know he's slated to be the next King of his people.. or at least, his Palace. But he's sworn to stay here with me and our kids until his father is actually on his deathbed, which—according to him—shouldn't be for another century or three. At which point, we'll be long gone, or _I_ will be, at least.

I mean, Winny's half PoM, and she's about three hundred years old, with no sign of actual aging or dying any time soon. She just doesn't show her blood-ties as obviously as my kids.

It's actually a little wonky how the genetics turned out. I mean, with Lauren and James, they have solid colors for their hair and eyes. But Alan and Mirei have streaks in their hair or opposing color—In the case of Alan it's blond streaked silver, and Mirei is the exact opposite—and Meredith… well, silver bangs and two eye colors make her to most unique of _all_ of my kids. Skye likes it for the most part, he says it makes our kids stand out. I'm a little worried about it though, because I know at some point they're going to want to explore outside the island, and sometimes standing out in a crowd isn't the most comforting of things.

Ah well, there's not much I can do about that until they get to that point. Sometimes I don't think Jamie ever will, he's definitely got the farming blood in him. Laurie's got it too, but I think she inherited more than just Lauren's name. That kid can _draw!_ It's pretty easy to figure out where she is once morning chores are over, she usually goes down to talk to Cody and get art tips. I've shown her some of Lauren's old sketches, and now she uses them for referencing too.

Those two are going to be fifteen this year. And so far I haven't had any really big signs of teenage rebellion. They seem quite content with what they're doing… though Lauren _has_ asked about going to college in the city, for art. I've been saving up for that since she mentioned it a couple years back.

Luckily the farm is prosperous so it's not to hard to divert some money into a college fund for her. And of my kids, she's the most normal looking, with the blonde hair and the green eyes, so she would definitely stand out the least.

I should _not_ be agonizing over this… whatever happens, happens, right? Besides, Skye survived just fine, a _lot_ longer than Laurie will have to be in the city, and he's the one with straight silver hair that Jamie inherited!

…and I have this sneaking suspicion that if they get teased, there will be magic used. Well, at least my kids can care for themselves.

It's good that James is taking over more of Uncle Tak's chores, he really is getting to old to being doing chores and running back and forth between the towns to ship all the products. I might start doing that myself, it'll give me a chance to harass Pony on a daily basis.

Or maybe Skye and I can switch off on that one. Loaning Uncle T Honey, or Blaze our gelding—named for his white face, and speed—would probably make the trips easier as well. Maybe take Blaze and use Honey or Savannah as pack horses?

Hmm, I'll have to run the idea past him.

The farm has grown so much… five horses is the least of it! Thankfully, I can always count on Rick to find buyers for all the extra animals I tend to acquire.

Ack, I hear cat complaints. From behind the TV. _Again!_ Marmalade will _never_ learn… He's so old now, but he's been a good tom at least. There's so many happy animals here on the ranch, it's not just kids that make me feel so blessed. Ah, I suppose I should go an untangle him. Silly thing.


	2. March 8, Spring, year 36

**March 8, Spring, year 36**

_After dropping by the Goddess's Spring and giving her some birthday offerings, we're heading into Mineral Town for this years Sowing festival. I wonder who's going to be dropping in from Flowerbud this year…?_

* * *

"Laurie, Mimi, are you up yet?" Claire knocked on the door of her daughter's room, trying to conceal her impatience. "If you two don't hurry, you're going to miss out on coming with us!"

In one arm she hefted her youngest daughter, Meredith, who was still not properly awake at such an early hour of the morning, and with the other she reached out and whacked the door to the boy's room as well.

"That goes for you too," she called through the door to Alan and James. "Up and at em kids!"

Skye's laughter floated down the hall.

"I don't know about Alan and Mirei," he called genially from their room, "but James and Lauren were up half an hour ago, and should be out doing the early morning chores."

Claire blinked, taken aback.

"And you couldn't tell me this _before_ I started on the morning crusade?" she replied wryly.

"More fun this way!"

"Oh _you_…"

The clear exasperation made Skye laugh again, knowing full well that his wife wasn't that annoyed. He bounded out of the bedroom, full of good cheer and greeted his wife and youngest daughter—who was making tiny complaining noises in her half-aware state—with a cheerful kiss. He loved the fact that no matter how many years passed it earned him a blush and sweet smile.

"Oh go on," she flapped a hand at him warmly. "Make the breakfast you. And take Meri so that I can get Alan and Mirei up, would you?"

"Gladly!" Skye always loved holding his children, even the ones that were grumpy in the morning.

Claire spared a few moments to watch him fondly, even as Meri turned towards her in a mute plea for her mother. It wasn't that the youngest didn't love Skye—Claire knew that given the choice the girl would follow them both on any given day—it was just that early mornings were Mommy-Baby time.

Resolutely, she pushed open the door to the girls room, and sure enough, Mirei was only just sitting up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Claire smiled fondly, warmly.

"Time to get up sweetie," she said cheerfully. "We're gonna go see the Goddess, then head to see your cousins!"

"Okay Momma," the nine-year-old girl yawned. "Reg'lar clothes?"

"Yup," Claire nodded. "Just the Sowing Festival today, so no need for anything fancy."

Clad in her favorite pair of yellow paw-print pajamas, Mirei slid out of bed and headed for her dresser to get ready. One child down, one to go, and Alan would be the hard one…

To her surprise, the boy's room was utterly empty.

"Skye?"

"He's sitting at the table," her husband called back, amusement lacing his voice. "Well, _sleeping_ at the table would be more accurate, but at least he's dressed, right?"

Claire rolled her bright blue eyes, and chuckled.

"Alright. I'm going to go help James and Laurie, won't be long!"

The experienced farmer headed out into the brisk spring morning, already whistling a cheerful tune. Alan wasn't _awake_, but he was at least dressed, and loading him onto a horse always worked better when properly clothed.

Lauren, or Laurie as she was commonly called, was already hard at work milking the cows; she raised a hand in greeting as her mother rounded the side of the house. Takakura was doing the same to the four goats, and it was plain that several animals had already been tended to by her industrious family.

"Jamie's getting the eggs," she called. "And we've already brushed the sheep!"

"Wonderful," Claire praised warmly. "I'll go take care of the horses then, and we'll all meet up for breakfast before we leave."

Honey, having recognized her mistress's voice, let out a whicker of greeting as the blonde approached the enlarged horse pens and barn. Laughing, she fed the golden mare a treat before collecting the brushes, blankets and saddles that would be needed for the ride over to Mineral Town.

Blaze wuffed into her hair as she began to clean the mud from his legs.

"Look at you," Claire scolded mildly. "Not even two weeks into the season and you're already rolling in every mud puddle you can find. You're definitely Cinnamon's colt!"

The horse wuffed again, making the farmer giggle. If Honey was the model of perfect behavior, her first colt was anything _but_. Two other mares, also results of mating between Cinnamon and Honey, pushed at the fence. Silk and Satin—both a darker gold than their mother—were vain little things, who always loved getting groomed. So, naturally, they also rolled in the mud and the dust, just to get extra time under the brush.

The odd horse out was Skye's, a surprisingly pure black gelding. It had simply been waiting for them one day at the entrance to the farm, and Skye had nearly fallen over in his shock.

The horse was named Yami—Skye had explained that it meant 'darkness'—and he only _barely_ tolerated Claire. She treated him with respect, but always left his saddling to Skye. She didn't feel like courting a bite.

"Morning Mom!" Jamie called as he passed by Yami's pen. "I think Cass is hoarding eggs again, so I left her a couple. She tried to _bite_ me!"

Claire chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her son's bright silver hair.

"That's what happens when you disturb a nesting hen kiddo," she teased. "And it _is_ spring, a few chicks wouldn't go amiss at this time of the year."

James, commonly referred to as Jamie, ducked out from under her hand, grinning slightly.

"Anyone else?"

"Not that I could see, tho Mitsu keeps figuring out how to unlatch the door and letting everyone out at night," and the aggravation was not all feigned. "Dunno how he does it Mom…"

"Well, Mitsu's a clever duck," Claire smiled. "We'll just have to figure out a way to lock the shed door again. I'll talk to Uncle Tak about it when we get home, mkay?"

"Okay!"

The kitchen window opened, and Skye poked his head out, waving a wooden spoon at everyone in general.

"Better come eat," he called, "before the little ones and I decide to eat it all!"

"_Da_-_ad_," the twins groaned.

Claire just laughed and mimed a swipe at him with the brush. Satisfied that they all would be in shortly, Skye withdrew head and spoon back into the house. The scent of fresh pancakes drifted out the open window, a welcome enticement, and Claire gratefully tossed her brushes into the bucket.

"Go help your sister with the milk, and don't forget to bring one back to the house!"

"Yes Mom," Jamie grinned.

Claire chuckled fondly as he went to help his twin with the heavy cans of fresh milk, patted Yami absently on the shoulder—he snorted at her—and headed into the horse barn to put away her tools.

* * *

Breakfast was always a mildly entertaining affair, especially on festival days, where everyone was trying to talk at once. Jamie and Laurie were hoping fervently to see their Uncle Jack because they got to see him so rarely, Mirei and the more awake Alan were excited about getting to play with their Mineral Town cousins, Skye and Claire were trying to discuss the best alternative to sending Takakura out on his own with the shipments, and Meredith was.. well, trying to eat. She was probably the  
_quietest_ one at the table, though certainly not the cleanest.

"How _do_ you manage to get syrup in your hair?" Claire wondered as she used a damp towel to wipe of the baby of the family's hands and face. "No, on second thought, I don't want to know… Honey, do you have the presents for the Goddess?"

"When don't I?" Skye called back, assisting Alan, who's house job was dishes for the week. "They're sitting next to the door in your wicker basket."

Without being prompted, the older set of twins headed outside to start saddling the horses, while Mirei wiped down the table. Meredith sat through having her hair re-brushed and re-styled into its customary pigtails, swinging her tiny legs so that her feet bounced off the underside of the chair.

"Don't do that," her mother said absently, one hair tie in her mouth. "We need the chair seat in one piece kitten."

"No, Alan, don't just swipe with the dishrag," Skye scolded mildly. "Scrub hard, or the syrup won't come off and we'll have to do this again."

The young boy dutifully obeyed his father, but it was clear his mind was on other things, like the few insects he could already see making their way in the spring morning. His father sighed, smiling faintly.

"Easily distracted," he chuckled, taking dish and rag from his youngest son. "You get a bye this time, but don't tell your mother."

"Thanks Papa!" the green eyed boy grinned. "I'm gonna go grab my bug net!"

"You do _not_ have time to hunt bugs before we leave," Claire called sternly as she finished with Meredith's hair.

"Aww Momma, not for _now!_" the child replied with a roll of his eyes. "For Auntie Jill's!"

"…Just don't go wandering onto the mountain alone like you did last time," she sighed. "I don't want to spend two hours looking for you like last time!"

"Okay!"

Alan darted to his room to gather his bug-catching supplies. Mirei wrinkled her nose.

"Momma, he's gonna bring back weird things again," she complained. "He _always_ does…"

"Well, he's not bringing them into the house," Claire reached out to pat Mirei's head. "Don't worry Mimi, there won't be bugs in your bed again."

_That_ incident had resulted in Alan getting his bug net taken away for a month, which was absolute torture for the bug-crazy boy. Mirei thought for a minute, then gave her mother a sunny smile. Claire chuckled as Skye stepped out of the kitchen.

"Come on now, we'd better hurry or we really _will_ be late!"

* * *

There hadn't been time for more than a few words to the Harvest Goddess, wishing her a happy birthday, before they'd headed towards Mineral town. Meredith was riding in front of her mother on Honey, Silk held Lauren, Blaze held James and Alan—who still wasn't as practiced as his twin on a horse—and Mirei was riding Satin. Skye was the only rider Yami tolerated and actually treated with decorum, no matter how Skye attempted to reason with the horse.

It had led to several amusing late-night discussions, and Claire enjoyed teasing her husband about his quirky horse whenever she got the chance.

They met up with Jill, Gray and their kids on Jill's farm, the River's Edge, which was where they left the horses. In the general chaos and cacophony of the family, Jill and Claire hugged, Gray and Skye traded friendly hand-clasps, and the kids tumbled all over each other.

"What a herd!" Jill laughed.

"You're telling me?" Claire feigned surprise. "I have _more_ than you do! Just wait till you have _your_ twins, then you'll see."

Which wouldn't bee too far into the future, considering the size of Jill's stomach. The brunette stuck out her tongue, and thumped his sister companionably on the arm, making the blonde grin smugly.

Getting everyone organized to go to the Square was an adventure in and of itself. First, Mirei and Jackie had to be convinced that they could play with their dolls after the festival, then Alan had to be called back from chasing insects around the cows in Jill's field. _Then,_ Caleb and Meri had to be fished out of the watering pond, where they'd run to escape a bumble bee.

Which naturally led to a change of clothes, and much groaning laughter. Eventually, though, they made it off the farm, just in time to see Doctor Trent and Elli go up in the large blue and orange hot air balloon.

Karen looked from the frazzled Jill to the annoyed looking Claire and back.

"Not going so well I take it," the green-eyed woman tried not to grin.

Both farmers gave her sour looks and Jill sat on a nearby bench with a tired groan. The children, released from their parents scrutiny scurried away into the crowd, meeting other cousins and friends alike. None of them were interested in hearing the adults chat.

"So, what happened?"

"Oh… Caleb found a flower for Meri," Jill started.

"Only the flower had a _bee_ in it, who was _not _happy about being disturbed," Claire picked up.

"Running from the bee, they both fell into the fishpond," Skye finished, chuckling. "Which is why they have wet hair and we were all so late."

Meredith and Caleb were the only two who hadn't run off the minute their parents had given the okay, each clinging to the leg of their respective mother. Samantha, Karen's youngest, was being carried by Rick, who was playing peek-a-boo with her.

Upon hearing the story, Karen had to laugh.

"You know, only _your_ kids would try to take swimming lessons by provoking a bee," she grinned.

Skye saw Cliff waving at him, and quietly excused himself. Gray hovered around at the three women chatted, keeping an eye on Jill, who took it in stride. She was used to her husband's protectiveness, and quite liked it at times. It wasn't like he was doing any damage… And having him there meant she could make him get them all drinks.

Claire let out a tired sigh as Meredith crawled into her lap.

"Love you Mommy!" the silver-banged child piped up in the conversation lull.

"Aww, I love you too kitten," Claire smiled. "Why don't you Caleb and Sammy go find Larissa?"

"Okay!"

The child immediately bounded away, taking her two cousins with her. There was a general sigh of relief and the last of the tension left the air.

"Man, we certainly got the kids who are a handful," Karen cracked. "Sam got into the flour shipment this morning. It's _everywhere_ on the floor of the store now, and there wasn't enough time to clean it up before coming here."

"Hah," Jill snorted. "Jackie thought that she'd wake the whole house up this morning by playing some loud foreign music. Allison threw an absolute _fit_, since the CD belonged to her and I tossed it in the trash."

"My morning was comparatively _quiet_," Claire grinned. "Jamie and Laurie were up before I was, Alan was actually dressed and at the dining table-"

"Awake?" Karen interrupted

"…no, but almost," Claire chuckled. "Mirei was the only one still abed, and she's easy enough to oust."

"Jeez, you _did_ get the easy morning," Jill complained jokingly. "Can I have _your_ life?"

"Not for all the money in the world," the blonde grinned. "Besides, it's spring, they all want to be up and active. Even Alan!"

"Though you know it's only because he wants to chase bugs," Karen said knowingly. "I think that one's going to be some sort of traveler like Kai, looking for new insects all the time."

"If he's happy, who am I to complain?" Claire half shrugged. "I'm still trying to keep him at farm chores, but that's _such_ a hassle…"

Jill's next words were interrupted by Zack's call of "Balloon!" As quickly as the crowd was able, people cleared the Rose Square so that the red and yellow hot air balloon could land where it willed. The only ones left in the Square were Zack, Cliff, and Gray, arguably the three strongest men in Mineral Town.

Jack and Eve waved to Claire, Karen, and Jill from the basket. Once it was properly tied down, they were instantly swarmed by their nieces and nephews—excluding Meredith, Caleb and Samantha who didn't recognize them—all trying to talk at once.

Jack, laughing, held up his hands to try and stem the flow of words. Eve just worked her way free, heading over to the rest of the female contingency. She was practically glowing, and it didn't take too long for them to ferret out that she was—after several years of attempting after her third pregnancy had resulted in a miscarriage—with child.

Well, if _that_ didn't set of the female population of the farming community, nothing would. Claire especially had been worried for Karen's older sister, since the miscarriage had thrown the normally cheery woman into a long period of depression. With this indication that everything was fine after all, the blonde settled in to hear the gossip of Flowerbud and Mineral Town.

* * *

_Phew, what a long day… It seems to get more chaotic every time we have to go to Mineral Town._

_But Eve being pregnant again after so long is absolutely _wonderful! _It's almost hard to believe. Jack told me that he asked the Harvest Goddess in his village for the help, and doesn't even seem to mind that now he has to give said Goddess all his strawberry crop for the first month of Spring._

_Ah… all's well that ends well. Now if I can get Skye to stop hinting at a sixth child, life will be _much_ improved._


	3. March 14, Spring, year 36

**March 14, Spring, year 36**

Goodness, White Day already? I swear, if feels like it was only yesterday that we went to the Sowing Festival…

Ah well, I know several males in my family who were handing out White Day presents. To their sisters, but also Jamie made something for Sharron. The boy is a good wood-worker, he made her a simple jewelry box. I _knew_ something like this would happen!

Well, okay, so I also knew that Sharron gave Jamie some chocolate this past Valentine's. Celia couldn't stop talking about it. I feel a little bad for Sharron, inheriting Marlin's weakness like that, not to mention Jamie's constant teasing. But this looks fairly promising.

Hah, I'm matchmaking and my eldest kids are only fourteen! I don't think Laurie is interested though, she certainly doesn't seem disappointed about getting nothing from any of… oh wait, the only one near her age would be Robert, and those two avoid each other like they have the plague.

It can be a little entertaining, but I do worry a little. They have no reason to so actively dislike one another that I can think of… Hmm, maybe Muffy or Griffin know something. Skye's clueless as well, and he's usually pretty good at knowing what's behind some of the things our kids do.

Mmm, staying up late to write in this has always been a bit of a hassle, but sometimes it's nice. I don't need a lot of light to see by, so the Moon Rose on the windowsill is just perfect for me to keep writing. I don't have to turn on the lamp next to the bed or go out into the living room to see, the way I used to write.

Puppy is really showing his age now, poor thing went blind a couple years back. I have to keep him out of the animal fields, otherwise he's likely to get stepped on by one of the cows, or kicked by that one bad-tempered bull we keep for breeding. I really don't know why, it's a good deal more dangerous than I like to have on the farm, especially with the way that Meredith follows me around.

I keep thinking I should call Rick and make him come and get it so that I can stop worrying. It's not like I don't have _enough_ four legged animals wandering in and out of the barns and all over the fields.

And feathered ones too. Mirei was chasing the ducks today, again. Silly thing doesn't quite realize that's why the mallards insist on chasing her back, and biting her when they get half the chance. Instead she comes and whines to me. I can't help finding it a little funny…

I think they're starting to wean out into specific types of magic now, at least the older two. Skye said that usually training doesn't start until that specific is discovered, but that's on the Moon. I like the idea of them having structured lessons in everything until they discover what their particular kind is. It just makes more sense to me.

But Meri is still too young, even I will agree to that. Jamie and Laurie didn't start showing their aptitude for magic until they hit seven, and that's still three years away for her.

Mmm… if I close my eyes I can hear the silence of the farm. At night, is the best time to hear absolute peace. Ah, I take it back, I hear the door. Skye must be home from his trip to the Spring!


	4. March 26, Spring, year 36

**March 26, Spring, Year 36**

_Skye's entering the cooking contest this year! He's the only one who has a chance of beating Ruby, so it ought to be interesting enough. Better oust the kids so that we can have breakfast before he completely dominates—and decimates—the kitchen._

_

* * *

_Skye _loved_ the cooking festival. Both of them, but the one in the spring was always more fun. In the Spring, he was allowed to be creative and could enter whole _meals_ if he wished! The Fall one had a set theme… which made it rather boring in comparison.

And this year, he even had help. Laurie had volunteered to share kitchen duty with him.

What this meant for Claire and the rest of the family was simple. They were barred from the kitchen after breakfast, until it was time to lug everything down to the beach for the Gourmet to check.

Said blonde, _far_ too used to this, vacated the house as quickly as possible, Jamie at her heels, and the other children close behind. They preferred to _not_ be drawn into the chaos, and even Alan agreed that farm chores was preferable to the disaster that the kitchen would become.

Claire took a deep breath of the morning air, and shook her head, smiling wryly. Jamie wiped his forehead mockingly, and the young kids imitated him, making their mother laugh.

"Alright, since Lauren's with your father, Mirei, you and Jamie will help Uncle Tak with the cows and sheep. Alan, you check for chicken and duck eggs, and _don't_ slack mister," she waved a finger at him teasingly. "If you get all the eggs you can find, I'll let you go bug hunting before the festival."

Which was enough incentive for him to hurry off.

"Mirei, let Jamie show you how to milk the cows before your actually try it," Claire continued. "And don't go near that bull. I'm going to call Rick tomorrow and have him sell it."

Which left Claire the horses, and outdoor dogs and cats. Meredith tugged on her mother's pant-leg looking up curiously.

"What about me Mommy?" the youngest child asked.

"Hmm… Would you like to go brush the dogs?" Claire crouched to be level with her daughter. "And the cats too. Once I'm finished with the horses, you can come help me make up the dog and cat food to lay out. Sound good?"

"Yeah!" Meri gave her mother a sunny smile, took the small animal brush that Claire offered, and toddled off to complete her tasks.

Straightening, the thirty-six-years-old woman laughed softly, then turned to the horse barn again. She would have to start alternating Jamie with the horses as well, he was getting tall enough to reach the backs of the mares without help of the stepping stool, and she wanted to milk cows herself. It was relaxing in its own way.

She heard, through the open kitchen window, a loud crash, and winced.

"If I have to replace dishes, there will be _words!_" she yelled across the farm.

A hand waved at her from the kitchen window, and she shook her head, smiling in spite of herself.

"Cooking festivals," she chuckled softly.

Then she went to give the horses their daily attention, and pass the time while waiting.

* * *

In the kitchen, the farm's calm atmosphere was dissipating rapidly. Both Lauren and Skye were trying to do as much as they could without breaking any of Claire's cooking implements. Just because she didn't often step foot into the kitchen didn't mean that she would be happy with them if they broke anything.

The crash had been, thankfully, only a wooden bowl full of salad, easy to clean up and remake. Lauren was currently working on baking a complicated cake, and Skye had turned his hands to his favorite thing… outside of his wife, kids and the farm, naturally.

Curry.

Curry smells blended with cake, fruit drinks, and even the simple crisp salad wasn't exempt. Lauren had a sneezing fit, and had to stick her head out the window for some fresh air. This was accomplished by half hanging over the sink, and said sink was filled with food-remains-covered dishes, which would have to be washed before they left.

Claire was _very_ particular about keeping a clean house, and Skye was picky about 'his' kitchen. One way or the other, dishes would be done, as the teen well knew.

"Jeez Dad," she sighed, pulling her head back in. "Use any more spices and Mom will start thinking I've developed asthma or something."

"Probably the 'or something,'" Skye chuckled. "Like a cold."

"Not. Funny," Lauren deadpanned. "At this rate we're going to have more food than we can carry, you know? Curry, cake, drinks, salad…"

He tsked, and tapped her lightly on the nose, winking one sea-green eye.

"Now when have I ever made that mistake?" he grinned. "Don't you worry Laurie, everything will work out just fine."

* * *

"Skye! It's almost noon," Claire called. "If you want to qualify for this year, _hurry up!_"

There were some things even almost sixteen years of marriage couldn't change, she mused, folding her arms patiently as his head of silver poked out kitchen, icing smeared across one cheek. Her husband's love of cooking was most definitely one of them.

"How much time?"

"Half an hour, if we run," she replied dryly. "So I would finish up quick. And," amusement laced her voice, making him pause. "You have icing on your face."

"Hmm," and he traced a finger through it, blinking, "so I do."

She could _see_ the comment lining itself up, and gave him a look of amused irony, halting it in its track. Skye just grinned.

"You're getting good at that."

"After fifteen year, I would certainly _hope_ so," she retorted tartly. "Get a move on, you!"

He ducked back into the kitchen, and Lauren made her weary way out. She had worn an apron and had taken the time to clean her face before exiting the kitchen, but it was clear that she was tired. Claire reached out and gave her oldest daughter a one-armed hug.

"I _did_ warn you," the blonde mother chuckled. "The Spring Cooking Festival is the one your father goes manic over."

"I _heard_ that," came the muffled complaint.

"So?" was the cheeky response. "You can't deny it, can you?"

There was no reply from the kitchen, and Lauren found herself grinning. Her parents sometimes acted so ridiculous… But it was fun at the same time, that they didn't act like they were old.

"Silly Daddy," Meri piped up.

"Now you've even got the kids doing it!"

Claire didn't even bother trying to muffle her laughter, and Lauren couldn't help joining in. Jamie poked his head through the open main door after a minute, blinking.

"I missed something, didn't I?"

"You have _no_ idea," Lauren grinned at her twin. "It's Mom and Dad, what do you expect?"

"If I answer that I'll get smacked," he replied promptly. "Mom, I brought Alan back, but Mirei fell into… well, a cow pat."

"Oh dear… Hosed her down?" Claire's smile was rueful.

"Yeah, enough so that she can come into the house. She's pitching a fit because she's going to miss part of the cooking festival," Jamie winced a little as his younger sister kicked the side of the house for emphasis.

"I'll start the bath, the rest of you help your father take the food into town. We'll catch up."

Both twins nodded as Skye came out of the kitchen, face and hands… _mostly_ clean.

"How did she fall into a cow pat?" he asked mildly.

"Running from the bull. She thought it might be a good idea to try and pet him into a better mood."

Claire felt her heart jump, and she quickly hurried outside to look her younger daughter over. Mirei's expression was a mix of miserable and angry, and she was shivering on top of it. The smell was all too familiar, and Claire shook her head with a faint sigh.

"Come on Mimi," she held out her hand. "Bath time."

Sullenly, the blue eyed girl took her mother's hand and followed her into the house. She knew she was going to receive a lecture as well as a bath, and a well-deserved one at that.

"Alright then, two hands short…" Skye frowned in thought. "This is going to be tricky…"

Jamie and Lauren exchanged amused looks. Laurie picked up the pitcher of fruit juice and her cake, Jamie grabbed the salad. Alan was handed the cutlery that they would be bringing to the festival—everyone brought their own—and Meredith was given the honor of carrying the drinking cups. Skye himself took the curry, and the family—minus two of its members—hurried down to the beach, just before the cut off time.

* * *

Mirei was in soapy water up to her neck as her mother washed the manure stained clothes in a separate bucket. The fact that Claire was steadfastly _not_ saying anything proclaimed her displeasure more than a spanking would have, and Mirei sunk a little lower in the tub.

"You understand now why I said don't go near him?"

"Yes Momma," she replied unhappily. "I'm sorry…"

Claire sighed softly, pausing in her washing.

"Kiddo, you're always pushing the limit," she reached out and tucked some of Mirei's silver-streaked blonde hair behind her ear. "In some cases it's good. With animals, it can be _extremely_ dangerous. Had that bull gotten a hold of you, I might be taking you to Doc Hardy's right now instead of just giving you a bath."

The child's blue eyes widened, and Claire shook her head again.

"Honey, you have a brain," she tapped the girl's forehead sharply. "You're extremely intelligent. You need to start using it to think things through, alright? When I say stay away from something I _always_ have a reason, and you know it."  
Mirei nodded, eyes focused on the bubbles instead of her mother. She never liked being scolded, none of the kids did. They were rare occasions, because Claire was such an easy-going mother. So when they _did_ happen to incur a scolding, it always hurt that much more.

The child sniffled as a few tears slipped down her face. It _had_ been a dumb thing to do, and she'd known it… but it was her nature to always push and push and push. Claire left briefly, to throw the washed clothes into the dryer and get new ones, doing her best to feign ignorance of Mirei's tears.

Truth be told she didn't like scolding them any more than they liked being scolded. But some things… just required it.

Mirei was in full blown tears when she returned, and Claire lifted her out of the bathtub with a big fluffy towel, just holding her until she had cried out her remorse.

"Not going to do it again?" Claire asked, gently wiping away the last of the tears.

Mirei shook her head fiercely, making her mother smile, and kiss her forehead.

"Good. Now if we hurry, we might be in time to hear the Gourmet decide the winner!"

That was all the incentive that Mirei needed, and the child clambered out of her mother's lap, heading for her clothes.

* * *

"It was a tough call," the Gourmet was proclaiming as the pair arrived on the beach. "But this year the prize definitely goes to…"

The silence was tense enough to eat, Claire mused, and Ruby and Skye seemed to be shooting dagger-looks at each other.

"Daddy gets so worked up by competition, doesn't he Momma?" Mirei whispered.

"He does indeed," the blonde woman whispered back, muffling a chuckle.

"Skye! Congratulations, that was some of the best food I've had in a while!" the Gourmet's voice made both mother and daughter jump. "You certainly are quite the chef."

Skye was beaming, Lauren was doing a victory dance, and the cheers were deafening. Ruby laughed, and waved from her own table of food as people swarmed the tables, hungry for the free eats.

* * *

_Chalk up a third victory for my hubby. He really should take this contest less seriously though, the looks between him and Ruby were almost frightening._

_Ah well, Skye wouldn't be who he was without his silly quirks. And I have a craving for the leftover cake, so I'm going to go sneak a piece of that before it vanishes tomorrow for desert._


	5. March 30, Spring, year 36

**March 30, Spring, year 36**

_Kids are off spending the night with friends… Lauren's over at Nami and Gus's, Jamie and Meri are with Muffy and Griffin, and Alan and Mirei went to stay with Celia and Marlin._

_House to ourselves, how completely nice… And Skye has been making plans, so I know _something_ is up…_

_

* * *

_

Skye slipped up behind Claire, who's head was bent over her journal, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

Claire had been so deep in thought that she jumped about half a foot, head smacking the underside of Skye's chin, and sent her pen flying across the room. The silver haired man stumbled back, rubbing his chin and wincing as Claire rubbed the top of her head and swore very softly.

"Uh… sorry?" Skye offered sheepishly when she half turned in her chair to scowl in his direction.

"Haven't I told you _not_ to do that?" she demanded with a faintly annoyed huff. "You know how distracted I get when I write…"

"I thought you were reading," he chuckled faintly. "My apologies."

She huffed out another sigh, but couldn't quite keep from smiling, even as she went to retrieve the flung pen. It was safer to get her attention when reading… but only barely.

"Do I dare ask what the plans are for tonight?" and her smile was impish as she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"You could ask, but then where would the surprise be?"

"You mean other than the fact that you actually told me?"

Skye snorted, amused, and propped one hand on his hip, shaking a finger at her mock-reprovingly. Claire just cracked up.

"Honey, I love you, but you look so… stereotypical _gay_ when you do that!"

She had to lean against the back of the couch to stay upright, and Skye just grinned. He knew he looked like a fop, and exploiting that fact to make her laugh was _always_ worth it.

And with all the children, nights to themselves were rare enough. The kids having friends close to their own age made it relatively easy to get them out of the house on special night.

Like this one.

As Claire's laughter died away into faint spurts of giggles, the former thief dropped his pose and moved over to her, reaching out to brush some of her hair from her face. Claire leaned automatically into the touch, smile softening.

"Not even a hint?" her eyes glittered with humor.

"You're impossible," he chuckled.

"Ah, but would you still love me if I was anything else?"

Any answer he gave could be potentially hazardous, so… he cheated, leaned in and kissed her. Slim, strong arms reached up to twine around Skye's neck, his own sliding around her waist to pull her closer.

The rest of the world became inconsequential, fading into the background as it so often did when they were just the two of them.

There was only one thing that could snap them out of it, when the house was empty like this.

Skye's nose twitched, and reluctantly he pulled back. Burning dinner—an likely by extent a part of the house—would certainly ruin the night.

Claire saw the expression on his face, and shook her head with a faint smile, releasing him.

"Don't burn dinner," se teased gently.

"Come and taste?"

"Why am I always the guinea pig?" she chuckled, following him into the kitchen.

"Because you volunteer," he teased back, waving a wooden spoon at her gently. "Besides, I taste too, you know."

"Well, of course," and Claire's blue eyes glittered with suppressed laughter. "How _else_ do you manage to beat Ruby?"

He snorted, and reached out to ruffle her hair. She ducked under his hand, under his whole arm, and for a brief moment stood as close as she could to him in the most distracting of manner.

Then she 'stole' the wooden spoon, and gave the soup a taste, grinning up at the expression on Skye's face. He just smiled faintly down at her after a minute.

"You never change," he said, lightly poking her nose.

"Sure I do," and the reply held many meanings. "It's just more fun this way."

Though she hadn't meant it to, she could see that her words had caused a familiar pain. Promptly, she turned off the stove, placing a lid on the soup to keep it from cooling too rapidly, and reached up to press her hands to his cheeks.

He reached up and covered them, trying to smile for her benefit, but the look in her eyes halted it. Gentle warmth, regret, and a deep, endless love. Slowly he bent until he could rest his head against her shoulder.

An inadvertent reminder that her lifespan was so limited, that someday he would wake and she would no longer be beside him… it hurt to think about, which was why he tried to keep it as far from his mind as possible.

She ran her hands through his silver hair, not saying a word. Nothing needed to be said, the years had taught her this, and already she was doing everything she could to soothe him.

Softly Claire began to hum an old lullaby, one that she sang to Meri every night before the child would allow herself to sleep. The familiarity of the song made the tension in Skye's shoulders ease, and after several minutes more, he pulled back. His eyes were bright with tears her refused to shed, not because it would be unmanly but because they would be premature tears, and mourning for something not yet lost would damage more than it would heal.

"Come," and Claire's voice was soft, gentle. "Let's eat."

* * *

They curled together on the couch, watching an old movie. Skye's attention was more on his wife than the movie, as unbidden worries began to filter into his mind.

He'd been keeping it back for a long time, since before he'd realized that he was in love with her, knowing full well that the knowledge would make him restless and unwilling to remain.

But this life they had together… how could he end that with a sudden sharp finality, just because he was afraid to see her die? It would destroy the both of them, he knew that full well, not to mention the children who wouldn't understand.

"Claire…"

"No," she said firmly, not looking away from the movie. "We've had this discussion Skye, I'm who I am, and immortality would change that too much. Please… just enjoy the time we've got. I'm not going to die any time soon."

He sighed, resting his chin on her head. It was one point upon which she would give no ground—another being that of a sixth child—and sometimes it was downright _frustrating_.

Be he saw her point as well. She didn't often take a long view on something because she didn't _have_ the time to take a long view. Her quick mannerisms, cheerful demeanor, and absolute stubborn ability… all traits of a mortal who's farthest future worry was usually how to keep the kids out of trouble.

It _would_ change her, to make her immortal like he was. She could live a full life in the short span of years she was given, what right had he to ask her to watch friends, and family fade into nothing more than sparks of memory?

She reached up, lightly running her fingers through his hair. As always, her touch was soothing, and he shifted so that it was his cheek instead of his chin resting on her head.

"I love you."

It was an apology. Claire simply curled a littler more into his embrace.

"I know," she murmured. "I love you too."

* * *

_I do feel bad for rejecting it outright the way I keep having to do, but… Even for the man I love I won't change who I am. My life is important to me because it is so short and so I must live every day to the fullest I can make it._

_Being an immortal… the changes that would make… I don't like the thought of it at all. Outliving friends and family?_

_I'll pass. I love him enough to die for him, but I just can't… _


	6. April 8, Spring, year 36

**April 8, Spring, year 36**

_Every year this trip gets a little more hectic… Lauren's almost old enough to join in the opening dance, which means I'll need to make her a dress for next year. She absolutely refuses to wear the 'Goddess dress,' so looks like I'll be sewing from scratch. _

_Oh well, I have the sewing machine so it shouldn't be too hard. And I suppose I can't blame her, the dresses _do_ need something of an update in style. _

_Heck, maybe I could start a new fashion trend! That would certainly be something to see._

_

* * *

_

Leaving the farm in Takakura's hands—Claire always felt bad about having to do that, no matter how many times he said he could handle it—the family had left the evening prior to the festival. The horses had been left with Jill, but instead of trying to cram everyone into Jill's farmhouse—possible, but cramped as all get out—they had paid for beds at the Inn.

And everyone had pretty much fallen asleep as quickly as possible. Late night rides did that to people.

The day of the Goddess festival dawned bright and sunny, the golden light falling across Claire's face first, then Skye's. The blonde liked the feel of the warmth on her face, and the sunlight was better than any alarm clock.

And when Claire slipped out of bed, Skye—who had become a relatively light sleeper since he'd married the farmer—stirred as well. It was still too early to expect breakfast, but Claire moved over to the window, bracing her arms against the sill, and let out a quiet, contented sigh.

Dawn, before anyone was awake, was the best time of day. Not that the silence lasted too long, everyone was too used to rising with the sun themselves. Heads of silver and gold started to bestir themselves from the blankets and pillows as the sunlight reached farther into the room.

Meri was the first child to slide from the bed, sleepily looking for her mother, dragging one of her stuffed toys with her. Jamie and Lauren sat up and yawned at almost the same moment.

And in the other rooms Claire could hear sounds of other Valley families waking up. To be fair, it was hard to sleep through a baby—Muffy's youngest, Tabitha—crying for her breakfast. Not even Alan could do it, though he certainly did try, stuffing his head under a pillow.

Mirei just stuffed her fingers in her ears, making an annoyed face. That lasted only until she realized what day it was, then she jumped out of bed and hurried to her mother.

Of her girls, Mirei was the one who liked dressing up the best, and it showed in the way the child was bouncing on her toes. Claire rested a hand on the silver-streaked blonde hair and shook her head with a faint smile.

"Breakfast first," she said calmly, her first words of the day. "Then clean up and getting dressed."

Jamie and Lauren greeted the idea of breakfast with quiet, but enthusiastic cheers, making Skye chuckle. Even Alan was enticed by the word, and wormed his way out of his nest of blankets and pillows.

"I think Ann, Cliff and Doug will need help considering who all are staying," the thief-turned-cook-and-husband commented. "I'm going to go volunteer my services."

Jamie and Lauren exchanged looks, then nodded.

"We'll help!" Laurie proclaimed. "We can carry breakfast tray up to the rooms."

"Sounds like a good idea," Claire chuckled. "I'll get everything ready for when breakfast is over so that it won't take more than twenty minutes to get ready to leave."

* * *

It actually took thirty, but Claire had a bit of perfectionist in her, so it wasn't that hard to understand. Everyone was dressed their best, hair was let loose in the case of the girls, and Claire had even allowed Lauren to wear a small amount of make up.

Though it took longer than Claire's initial estimate, they were still one of the first families out the door, joining the tide of people making their way to the Square.

Laughter and chatting abounded as parents and children mingled, separated, and caught up to each other again. The cacophony was warmly familiar, something Claire had always loved. There weren't enough people to make it a city, not with the way everyone knew—and got involved with—everyone else's business, but there was enough people to make the towns bustling and happy places to live.

It made Claire glad that they only got the rare influx of tourists, and the festivals were the biggest draw. Trying to picture large corporations tearing up parts of the island for resort hotels, theme parks, and the like made her cringe.

One thing the crowd did was keep her youngest practically on her heels. Meredith was find with family crowds—which this mostly was—but preferred to stay by her mother at any given time.

"So, who do you think made Goddess this year?" Skye asked.

Claire nodded in the direction of Elli, who seemed to be glowing, and Doctor Trent who appeared a touch uncomfortable.

"Three guesses, and the first two don't count," she replied dryly. "I almost feel bad for Trent."

"Why?"

"Have you _seen_ him dance?"

There was a short pause as Skye tried not to laugh. It was true, Trent wasn't that much of a dancer. He took more time being a doctor, and in truth Elli often had to twist his arm—not literally, but close to it—to get him to come to festivals like this one.

"Momma!" Mirei tugged on Claire's arm, almost tripping over her little sister. "Becky says that Aunt Jill isn't allowed to dance this year!"

"She's pregnant Mimi," Claire chuckled. "Your auntie gets tired easily, especially since she's carrying a pair instead of a single. It's not going to harm pairings too much, Muffy still isn't up to a lot of dancing either."

Even with two down, there were still the other Valley and Mineral Town mothers to complete the dance, Claire included. Mirei thought about this for a moment, then darted back into the crowd, looking for Rebecca again.

Claire and Skye shared an amused look.

"Are you _sure_ they're friends?" Sea-green eyes glinted with amusement.

"Nope," Claire responded promptly. "But they say they are, so who am I to argue?"

* * *

Unlike younger years, Claire couldn't dance the day away. After about an hour she retired for a short break, claiming a seat next to her sister as Skye went for a drink.

"Tired already?" Jill teased.

"You can't talk squirt," Claire panted, lightly poking Jill's protruding stomach. "Four months til your due date and you're waddling like a duck."

The brunette elbowed Claire, but not hard. Her sister had already carried her fair share of twins after all, and knew how much work it entailed.

"So, where's the hovering shadow?" Claire asked idly.

"Gray? Home sick," Jill sighed. "He's over-doing it again, has been ever since Saibara passed away. Trying to be the blacksmith, _and_ a farmer so that I don't have to do all the difficult farm chores. It's sweet, but…"

"But he's doing what he wants you to _not_, and tiring himself out in the process," the blonde patted her sister's hand sympathetically. "You could do what I did and tell on him."

Jill thought about this for a second, a smile creeping across her face.

"How did Skye like that?"

"Oh," and Claire laughed. "He wasn't pleased to be told that I could do things for myself, even carrying kids, but he got over it."

The younger woman snorted her approval as Skye returned, bearing three cups.

"Do I dare ask the topic under discussion?" he asked, passing a cup to Jill, then to Claire, before taking a seat next to his wife.

"Stubborn husbands," the sisters chorused.

Skye winced a little, smiling sheepishly.

"Gray over-worked himself," Claire continued, "and we're currently trying to figure out how to make him stop. I suggested she do what I did," and here she elbowed Skye gently, "when you were being the overprotective pretty-boy from hell, and go tell the doctor."

"I would have thought he'd've been over that stage by now," Skye refused to rise to the bait, though he had a tell-tale blush across his cheeks. "Three kids and all."

"First set of twins," Jill reminded him tiredly. "He's going overboard."

"Twins _are_ harder than solo," Claire draped a comforting arm over her sister's shoulders. "It's understandable, if annoying."

The trio fell silent for a bit, watching the crowd of dancing kids and parents, each pre-occupied with their own thoughts. Instinctively, Claire sought out her children, and smiled faintly.

Caleb, Samantha and Meredith were all dancing in a circle, and had managed to pull in Timothy and Fred. As she watched, it became clear that they were doing Ring Around the Rosy, and they all sat with abruptness on the stone, laughing.

Mirei was with Michelle, Erica, Elizabeth, Jackie, Ann's two girls Cassidy and Larissa, and Becky. Likewise, Alan was with David, Jasper, Thomas, Albert and Jerry. The boys seemed to be planning something, and within moments of Claire's attention they went to harass their siblings.

Skye chuckled faintly as Claire shook her head, having spotted the same thing. Jill, following their gaze, smiled wryly.

"Well, at least we know that the Tomato Festival will be full of well-deserved revenge," the brunette commented wryly.

Claire snorted.

"Who says we have to wait for the Tomato festival?" she rolled her blue eyes. "My house is going to be plagued with sibling pranks, I just _know_ it. I think perhaps I'll remove the bug net as a preventative measure this time…"

"Weren't there ah… frogs in the house when this happened last year?"

Claire made a face. She didn't _mind_ frogs, as long as they were out of doors… Alan had been grounded for a _long_ time because of that prank. Not to mention Mirei's shriek had woken the whole house, no mean feat.

"Exactly my point," the blonde sighed.

"Your son is more of a trouble maker than mine," Jill laughed.

"_Your_ son is four," Claire pointed out. "_My_ son is nine, and a great deal more mobile."

Skye had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

In truth, the chaos of the Goddess Festival was routine now, since people had started to have children. And after all, what was a festival without a little bit of chaos?

Claire regretted asking that question mentally the minute the 'play' fighting ran into the table of food and drink, making quite the loud crash.

Which started more squabbling. Jill burst into giggles and Claire buried her face in her hands and let out a mother's exasperated sigh. Skye hastily got to his feet and went to help sort out the mess.

* * *

_Nothing quite so chaotic as a festival with young kids in attendance… Alan has been punished, and his bug net is sitting under my bed. He now has to help Uncle T in the maker shed for the next two weeks… and I'm debating letting him participate in the Egg festival this year._

_Mmmm… I think I'll sleep on it. Let the decision rest for a few days. If he's anxious enough about it, he'll be on his best behavior._


	7. April 13, Spring, year 36

**April 13, Spring, year 36**

It was Jamie and Lauren's birthday today. Usually this means the kids get a bye from chores, but Laurie's the only one who really takes advantage of this. She goes down to the Goddess Pond to draw until it's time for the birthday dinner.

Not that I can blame either one of them. Jamie—though I suppose I should start calling him 'James' soon, shouldn't I?—practically breathes the farm. If I decided to retire today, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to run the farm all on his own.

I might just do that one of these days…

Hah, who'm I kidding? The day I retire is the day I can't lift my axe on my own, and if I have my say, that won't be til I'm at _least_ eighty years old. Or dead. Which ever comes first.

But at least I know I'll be leaving the farm in a pair of capable and loving hands. Maybe more than that, but that's too far in the future for me to be thinking, and beside, match-making machinations aren't really to my style anymore.

You know, not that my sister would ever believe me. Or Muffy…

Agh, anyways…

Jamie helped with the chores, Lauren went to the Spring for the day, and I helped Skye in the kitchen, making their favorite foods for supper. I only _slightly_ burned the cookies this year, so I _am_ getting better. (What can I say, I got caught up in reading again…)

It's a little depressing to be the failure in the kitchen when everyone else seems to be so dang _good_ at it. Well, okay, so Jamie can't cook either, and the younger ones aren't allowed to bake just yet, but _still!_

For presents I ordered an art kit for Lauren. It has pencils, pens, paper, paintbrushes and paints. The expression on her face when she opened it was well worth the three days in the city it took to find the right one.

Jamie was a tough one to find a present for. He's so utterly happy with the farm… eventually I decided to get him some new tack for Blaze, and he clearly loved it. It's nice having children who are easy to please.

Skye got them both some new music to listen to, Alan and Mirei… I don't know quite _how_ they managed this, but they wheedled a piece of jewelry from Carter for Laurie, and brought in one of the farm puppies from James. And Meredith made them some cards.

I personally think the evening turned out decently. No one got into fights, Alan and Mirei went to bed on time, Meredith fell asleep _before_ her bedtime, and Jamie and Laurie got to stay up and watch a couple of movies.

I thought about throwing them a party, but when it comes right down to it, they don't seem to want parties. I know there's several friend-presents unaccounted for, that probably were gathered today when they were chore-free.

Which reminds me, I _did_ talk to Muffy about Robert! She says he's just shy… it took a good deal of effort to _not_ comment that he only acted this way around Lauren, and it was reciprocated. I guess I'll never figure it out.

And asking Lauren just meets with a subject change. I don't want to press the issue, so I'll let it lie for a while. Maybe she'll come talk to me about it sometime in the future.

Robert treats everyone else just fine too, he dotes on Meri, treats Jamie civilly enough, and lets himself get pestered into playing with Alan and/or Mirei, but when Lauren shows he just… shuts down.

Argh, must _not_ think too much about it. He's fifteen, maybe they're just not compatible together. It wouldn't surprise me any, at fifteen me and my sibs were _fighting_ more often than we got along. I think I spent more nights out at the Goddess Pond _sulking_ than I did in the room Pony and I shared.

Usually over the most ridiculous of things too…

Ah well, that's humanity for you I guess. We're all young and stupid some time.

Mmm? Rain?! Oh _blast!_


	8. April 16, Spring, year 36

**April 16, Spring, year 36**

_I like to tease Skye a little bit about today. All I have to do is say 'Blue Bar,' and he gives me _such_ a look. The kids naturally don't get it, but it's fun to tease him about the early days of the relationship. I still remember that stupid spell…_

_The Egg festival was.. interesting. I let Alan participate, despite my misgivings._

* * *

"C'mon Momma, _please!_" Alan begged. "I gotta go do the Egg hunt!"

"You're still in trouble for instigating that little riot at the Goddess Festival," Claire frowned at him. "Why exactly should I turn you loose?"

Teary eyes failed to impress the blonde, who was in the process of attempting to calculate how much money, wood and stone it would take to expand the girls room and make a _real_ bed for Meredith. Since math wasn't exactly high on Claire's list of favorite things to do, it consequentially came up in her life far more often than it needed to.

Not to say that she wasn't good at it, because she'd certainly had enough practice to _get_ good. She just loathed it with a passion, and had to deal with it more than she liked.

"But I been _real good!_" Alan protested when he saw that the tears weren't working. "Grampa Tak says so! An Mirei an I _gots_ to be a team Momma, we gotta!"

"Mmm…" Claire was clearly distracted, chewing on one end of a pencil. "Speak properly please Alan."

The boy let out a whining sigh, but obediently corrected himself.

"I've been _really_ good, even Grampa Tak says I have," the child repeated. "Mimi and I've _got_ to be a team Momma… we've _always_ been a team."

"Much better… Did you help Uncle Tak for today?"

"Not yet," he mumbled, one foot scuffing the floor.

"Do that, and then you can go join your siblings at the Egg Hunt. Hurry and you might get there before it starts."

His green eyes lit up in glee and he gave her a quick, impromptu hug.

"Thanks Momma!" he exclaimed, darting out of the house.

Skye looked up from where he was sketching plans for the room extension and bed, opening his mouth.

"Don't say it," Claire warned, pointing the pencil at him. "You would have broken down _much_ quicker."

"Says the woman with the four year old in her lap," he retorted, smiling.

True to form, Meredith was sprawled across her mother's lap, apparently utterly happy with this. The child had made no move to leave like the rest of the family, everyone eager to start the hunt and compete with the other children in the Valley for the title of bet egg collector.

"Oh hush. If she's happy, I'm not going to make her move," Claire huffed, clearly amused. "Besides, it's not the end of the world to have a clingy child. She'll grow out of it soon enough."

The kids were affectionate, but all of them had grown past the cling-to-Mom stage. She missed it, not that she would ever admit to it, and just having the one child temporarily content to stick close eased her heart.

"Hmm," was all Skye said.

Claire ignored the comment, going back to her figuring, and after a minute, Skye returned to his drawing.

* * *

Alan hurried down the path, hoping and praying that the festival hadn't started. Had he been thinking a little more he would have realized that it _couldn't_ start, not without Takakura's handout of the lists.

The old man had been forced to get more and more clever as more children began to join in the game, and there were more eggs hiding this year than in any other, even from when Jack, Claire and Jill had been kids.

And _none_ of them were in the main village area. This prevented anyone from getting a head start while waiting for Takakura and his instructions.

The small boy scanned the crowd, looking for his twin and older siblings. It wasn't fair, he reiterated to himself, that he was so dang _short_! Anyone who brought up the fact that it was the young boy's _age_ and no other reason was huffed at, a habit he'd inadvertently picked up from his mother.

In the end, it was Jamie who spotted him, the silver haired older boy blinking in surprise.

"I thought Mom grounded you," he said, a frown starting to creep over his face.

"Momma said I could come once I was finished with Grampa Tak," Alan countered quickly. "And I _finished!_ You can't tattle!"

Lauren and Mirei had followed Jamie, and Lauren gave a faintly annoyed sigh.

"He's telling the truth," she said as Jamie and Mirei turned to look at her. "Mom let him go… Guess this means all of us as a team, unless you want to just be with Alan, Mimi."

"All of us as a team," the blue-eyed girl proclaimed instantly. "You guys get the big stuff, we get the little!"

It was then that Takakura, moving slower due to his age, wandered down from Sunshine farm, lists in hand. Instantly he was surrounded by eager kids, all of whom wanted a chance at the prize.

Sure it was only a bronze cup that was passed around every year, but it was still cool to look at. And it got the winner bragging rights.

It didn't take too long for everyone to collect their list of hints and scatter, some starting from the top, some from the bottom and some from the middle. Lauren and Jamie looked in the trees and high places, Alan and Mirei looked under things, in the low places.

"We're gonna win again this year, right?" Alan piped up hopefully.

"We're gonna try squirt," James winked a blue eye at his little brother. "But sometimes it's nice to let other have the cup… it means we don't have to worry about them trying to cheat a win or anything."

Mirei and Lauren exchange looks, both girls shaking their heads ruefully.

"The only reason that happens is cause you two _brag_ too much," Laurie sighed. "Five years in a row _is_ a bit much you know…"

* * *

"They _what?!_"

Claire's exclamation made Skye jump. It was rare for her to raise her voice like that and… when had the phone rung?

The blonde woman raked a hand through her hair in aggravation.

"I'll be right over," she promised.

The phone was dropped back onto its cradle and Claire stalked over to her boots. Confused sea-green eyes followed her.

"Alan fell out of a tree trying to prove he could do anything Jamie did and broke his arm," she said flatly in response to the questions he wasn't asking. "Mirei nearly drowned in the Turtle Pond because she slipped on a rock Lauren told her to _avoid_, twisting her ankle in the process, Lauren got _bit_ by the turtles in the pond trying to rescue her and _Jamie_ bruised his back trying to help Alan!"

Skye abandoned his chair in a heartbeat, joining her at the door. Meredith was, thankfully, down for her afternoon nap, and wouldn't miss them until they got home.

They hurried down to Hardy's clinic together, and they certainly weren't the only parents in attendance. Marlin and Celia were leading a wet and shivering Sharron away—clearly another that had gotten caught in the pond mishap—Rock and Lumina were in the process of chastising Timothy for climbing a tree and nearly breaking _his_ arm, and Muffy was running a stressed hand through her blond curls as Griffin collected Erica, who had also managed to twist her ankle.

"This gets worse every year," Claire sighed, coming even with her cousin. "Sometimes I think we really should call it off."

"I'll agree with _that_ one," Muffy sighed, "Maybe we should take a page from Flowerbud's book and just make bins instead of hiding the eggs themselves everywhere."

"Talk to Uncle Tak," the farmer nodded. "I'm sure he wants to lower the injury rate too."

She edge into the clinic, Skye at her heels, and propped her hands on her hips at the sight of her four children. Lauren and Mirei were soaked to the skin, the former with bandages on her arms and legs from the turtle bites, the latter with a single bandage on her ankle, whimpering. Alan had tears running down his cheeks as well, arm bound in a splint and cast that Hardy was just finishing up. Jamie had a gauze pad on his cheek—a branch had marked him on his way down—and was moving in a way that suggested serious pain that he wouldn't admit too.

"Hi Mom," Lauren said sheepishly, "Dad."

Claire shook her head, and let out a long, relieved sigh. They would all be fine, which was definitely something.

"Honestly, what am I going to _do_ with all of you?"

* * *

_So Alan's cast will be on for five weeks, Mirei will be in bed or on the couch for ten days, Jamie is _not_ to stress his back for three weeks, and Lauren isn't allowed to remove her bandages for four days_

_We _really _need to figure out a better way to run the Egg Hunt…_


	9. April 22, Spring, year 36

**April 22, Spring, year 36**

It's been the first time in a _long_ while that any of us have missed the Flower Festival, but it just wouldn't be right to leave the kids here by themselves.

Lauren's good and ill, some of the turtle bites got infected so she's been hiding out in the bathroom for a while. I'll have to go check on her in a little bit.

Alan and Mirei are both relatively miserable. Mirei wanted to go dancing and can't because of her ankle, and Alan wants to go hunt bugs, but can't because of his arm. Also, that net is _not_ going back to him until midsummer…

Jamie has been lying on his stomach for most of the week, the poor dear.

_All_ of them are poor dears… such a simple misadventure led to so much _damage_. Us parents gathered and talked with Uncle Takakura, and so far next years plans are tentative, but we're looking at buying decorative bins and hiding eggs in them instead of scattering them around the village…

I suppose it could have been worse, hearing that Mirei had almost drowned nearly gave me a heart attack! Thankfully it was only _almost_, otherwise I'd be doing my best to beg a boon from Winny, and those _don't_ come cheap, even to the people she considers friends.

It's supposed to start raining this week anyways, so the help won't be too missed. The chores will just take longer, but that's alright.

My kids are okay. They might not agree with me, but to me, okay means they're neither crippled nor _dead_… Thank the Harvest Goddess.

Which reminds me that I need to drop by both the pond and Win's place so I can explain why the kids won't be coming for their lessons. Not that they have lessons in the rain, but still… the rain won't last the whole time that they're convalescent, so it's better to inform the teachers beforehand.

The only child uninjured is Meri, and that's because she stayed with me the whole day. Never have I been more _grateful_ for the clingy child stage.

This does make me wish that I knew how to heal… Most of the magic I've been taught pertains to making my plants grow healthy and strong and storm resistant. Up until now, that was all I needed, my kids are usually pretty good at being careful.

In truth, this is the most injured they're ever come back from an Egg hunt. Usually they just have scratches from the brush they were forced to scramble through or trees they had to climb. _Those_ I can deal with easily, clean it up, put some ointment and bandages on the scrapes-or-scratches, and poof, easily fixed.

Broken and strained limbs, bruised backs, illness… I can't fix those with kisses and smiles.

If ever a mother felt useless…

I wonder if this was how _my_ mom felt some days when the three of us would come home with our bruises? Heh, bruises, bee stings, scratches… you name it, one of us had _something_ to do with it… though we did learn not to bother the bees pretty dang quick.

I should go check on Lauren since Skye's got the younger kids and Jamie's watching TV. I'll bring her some juice and a cool cloth. It might help…


	10. May 6, Spring, year 36

**May 6, Spring, year 36**

_Everyone is up and about again, except for Alan. Well, to be fair he's up and about, he's just the only one still wearing bandages._

_And I just heard something break…_

_

* * *

_

The thump-and-crash was followed by a familiar hiccupping wail that attested to Meredith somehow having been involved.

"_Momma!_" Mirei yelled. "Make Alan stop being a _pain!_"

Claire let out a long, patient sigh, leaving the sanctuary of her sewing room to assess the damage.

In his attempts to bug Mirei by poking at her with a crayon, Alan's cast had accidentally hit the cup of juice Mirei had been drinking. Said cup had hit the youngest member of the family on the head before hitting the floor and breaking.

Wisely, neither younger twin had attempted to move the crying child, considering how she was practically surrounded with shards of glass.

For a moment Claire made a mute plea for her husband to come home—he'd gone to help Griffin fix his stove almost an hour ago, Jamie was out in the barns caring for the sheep and cows, and Lauren was at her lessons in magic with the Harvest Goddess today—before pointing at Alan sternly.

"Child if you want that bug net back before winter time, you _will_ behave," she said sternly. "Room, _now!_"

Green eyes widened in surprise, then his head lowered in shame and he slunk off as ordered. Claire turned to Mirei.

"Get the broom and dustpan from the kitchen," she nodded. "And put on something more sturdy than you _socks_ for goodness sake!"

Not about to attempt to incur her mother's ire, Mirei hopped as quick as she could, first shoving her feet into her shoes then running for the kitchen. Claire reached carefully over the shards of glass and picked up her still-wailing youngest, cradling the child gently to her chest.

Meri would need a bath, and her clothes would need a washing, but soothing her would have to come first. After all, juice cups _hurt_.

Mirei returned with the broom and dustpan, and traded them for her crying, sticky little sister. Claire caught the displeased look and tapped her daughter sharply on the nose.

"Go fill the tub kiddo," her voice hinted at the displeasure. "I'll handle the glass and get the pair of you some clean clothes. Wash her _carefully_, mind. You didn't like soap in your eyes any more than she does."

"Yes Momma," the blue eyed girl winced a little. "I'll be careful."

"Good girl," and Claire's smile was a touch wry. "Go on now, clean up before your father gets home. I _know_ he'll want the bathroom after working with Griffin's stove."

Meri's wails were dying away to hiccups and sniffles, a blessing to Mirei's tortured ears. Hurriedly the nine-year-old moved to the bathroom. Skye could be worse than Aunt Muffy when it came to taking hours in the bathroom…

Sighing, the farmer crouched down to examine the remains of the cup. Even if she _could_ fix it, it wouldn't be good to drink out of anymore. The cracks would collect drink remains and begin to mold and that would be that.

"It was one of my favorite cups too," she muttered to no one in particular. "That boy of mine is in need of a good _talking_ to."

She was almost tempted to extend the groundation period, but knew well enough that his broken arm limited activities he liked more than being confined to the farm did. The pieces of glass clattered together in the dustpan, and Claire swept the floor twice more to ensure that she had gotten all the pieces she could with the broom. Following the transfer to the glass recycle bin—a habit that had started with her parents and extended to her, the glass would later be given to Patrick and Kassey—the blonde pulled out the vacuum cleaner.

At which point Skye returned home, covered in grease and smelling of propane fumes, which made Claire grimace a little.

"Do I dare ask what happened?" he tipped his head slightly.

"Alan was bothering Mirei, and dropped a glass of juice onto Meredith. Said glass broke when it hit the floor, and I've spent the past twenty minutes getting as much of it as I can with the broom. Girls are in the bathroom cleaning up, you'll have to wait. Talk to him?"

"Looking like this?" Skye gestured at himself, streaked with grease, a touch of oil, and food remains.

"Please?" Claire gave him a tired, worried look. "I know he's having a bit of a hard time, but it's driving me _batty_. The way he chooses to act out only makes me have to _lengthen_ his punishment, and at this point it's not really counting for anything…"

Only the fact that he didn't want to get grease on her kept him from reaching out to hug her. She _was_ worried, it was her prerogative as a mother, but it was also part of her duties to see him punished for his misdeeds.

"Alright, I'll go talk to him."

* * *

Alan was curled in a sulking lump in his bed when Skye walked in after a quick, sharp knock.

"So, why not tell me what happened?" Skye suggested mildly. "Sulking about your punishment won't change it."

"Momma's not being _fair_," the boy whined. "I just wanted to play a little, but Mirei was being _boring!_ I didn't _mean_ to break the cup…"

"No, you probably didn't. But that's the thing Alan, meaningfully done or not, you still caused the accident, and hurt your little sister in the process."

The child sniffled, hiding his face in his knees. Skye shook his head lightly, sympathetically. He never _meant_ to cause trouble, but in that respect he and Mirei truly _were_ identical. They never stopped to fully think things through.

"Your mother is a bit out of sorts right now, so here's what I would do," Alan looked up hearing his father's soothing tone. "Firstly, apologize to Mirei for bothering her and Meredith for dropping the cup on her head. Then, try to conquer your usual lazy nature and help out as best you can with one arm on the farm. Claire would appreciate it very much, and it's the thought of the matter that counts. And later, when you have those impulses about bugging your siblings, _think it through_."

Alan sniffled, rubbed his nose with his good hand, and nodded. Skye could tell that the green-eyed boy was not _entirely_ convinced, and smiled a little.

"I'll tell you a story here quick, about something I got in trouble for when I was about your age."

Alan's eyes widened.

"_You_?" the child asked, incredulously.

"Me," Skye nodded, grinning. "My own younger sister was always following after me, and we certainly weren't twins. And when I got my younger brother it never ceased. So finally I decided to trick them into leaving me alone.

"I couldn't do it by my usual means, my mother had strictly ordered me to keep an eye on them since I was the oldest. Which meant I had to trick them into walking away on their own."

Skye's grin turned rueful, as Alan's eyes went wider, the boy leaning forward in his curiosity.

"So I gave them a treasure map and told them that at the end of it was a _wonderful_ prize of chocolate and candies. In truth it led to an empty cellar room in the palace that was all but forgotten by any of the inhabitants, with a door that swung shut easily and stuck fast.

"I had several hours to myself after that, but unfortunately my mother found out… and if you think _your_ grounding is bad, I'll tell you it has _nothing_ on the punishments my Mother and Father could come up with."

"Are we ever gonna meet them?" Alan asked curiously.

"Probably not," Skye's expression seemed to close down. "They would attempt to change all of you from who you are, and I will not have that happen."

A knock at the door made Skye jump.

"Bath's free honey," Claire's voice was muffled slightly thanks to the wood. "And clean clothes are waiting. I'm going back to my sewing."

"Thanks," he called back.

"Daddy?" Alan asked tentatively as Skye turned to leave. "Is Momma _really_ mad?"

"I wouldn't think so," and sea-green eyes were bright with warmth. "Just a bit stressed. Now remember, apologize to your sisters, and don't slack kiddo."

"Okay Daddy."

* * *

Claire retreated back to the sewing room, closing the door firmly behind her. After the bath Meredith had been more than willing to lay down for her nap, and Mirei was reading a book, which meant that she could get back to work on the dress she was attempting to make for Lauren.

Not that she was the only girl-child that Claire was making dresses for. Alicia, Allison and Melissa were all going to be allowed to join in the 'official' dancing next year, and each set of parents had commissioned Claire's sewing talents for their daughters.

And there was… _something_ niggling at her, that made her want to have them all finished soon. As though she wouldn't have a great deal of time to work on all of them. It was silly, but the urgency was there, and it made her spend every free moment she could get in her sewing sanctuary.

So far, all she had were several designs, each based around the looks and personality of each girl.

Since Melissa was so a-social—she preferred to spend time alone with her music as opposed to anything else. The only exception was when she agreed to spend time with Jamie and/or Laurie—the design was a simple and straightforward one. It would very likely end up a deep ocean blue.

Alicia was definitely Muffy's daughter, always the life of every discussion. A shorter, more flippy skirt would suit her, with just the barest of lace edgings which would hint at the girls femininity… maybe dark purple? The girl was streaking her bangs in a way that was similar to how Karen's hair was _naturally_, so purple wouldn't go too amiss.

Allison, her eldest niece, was a tricky one. The color was easy, a soft, dark red to bring out the red highlights n the girl's auburn hair, but the design still eluded Claire. In truth, the girl was about as feminine as a _brick_. Or Ann…

The farmer grinned slightly at the though, pencil moving absently in thought. Allie certainly had inherited the snap-temper of the line, so a dress… that swirled like fire. Yes, that would do perfectly.

Lauren's dress was already half completed. Pale blue-green satin was folded neatly, already cut into the pieces it would eventually be sewn into… if she could convince her daughter to stand still for longer than ten minutes so that she could double-check her measurements.

Chuckling softly, she reached for the discarded journal, and returned to her writing.

* * *

_I'll be calling Gotz at the end of the week to start on the renovations to the girl's room. He's a quick worker, shouldn't take too long, and the bed afterwards will be Meri's first bed. _

_And then there will be more room for the girls in general, I know Laurie's been complaining about the lack of room to spread out. An eerie echo of myself and Jill, thank _goodness_ we didn't have any more siblings._

_Designing is all done, next comes the choosing of the fabric, and the measuring of the girls. I wonder if Jill will let me borrow Alicia for a couple of days so that I can use her instead of a dummy…? I'll have to give her a call and ask._


	11. May 16, Spring, Year 36

**May 16****th****, Spring, year 36**

_The younger kids decided they didn't want to go to the races, so we left them with Muffy, who agreed to play baby-sitter for the day. I can't blame the kidlets, they're still young enough that they don't quite _get_ why the races are fun._

_Muffy's a good babysitter too, so they should have some fun._

_Also… Pony asked me to stand in for her. I accepted. This ought to be… interesting._

_

* * *

_

"Are you _sure_ you want to do this?" Skye asked for what felt like the fiftieth time in the past ten minutes.

Had they not been riding on the way to the races, she would have kicked him. Cheerfully. And probably hard. Or possibly smacked him. Which she did contemplate briefly.

"It's not the first time she's asked me to stand in," she pointed out, holding on to her fraying temper out of sheer force of will.

"But it's the first time you've accepted."

She took a deep breath and counted to ten. Twice. Wisely, Jamie and Laurie were staying out of the discussion, hanging back just enough to avoid getting involved while catching every word.

"_Skye_…"

"I'm just worried!" he interrupted, reaching across the distance to touch her hand. "You've never accepted before…"

"Oh for the love of…" Claire scowled her annoyance, and bit back the rest of the words. "Gray hurt himself again, so I couldn't exactly _refuse_, could I?"

It wasn't the whole reason, but it was enough of the truth to satisfy Skye, albeit with obvious reluctance. Claire let out a huff of annoyance and relief when he finally subsided, grateful that she didn't have to try revealing the other reason behind her acceptance.

Jill had been surprised too, but was undeniably more _grateful_ than shocked. She had a title to defend after all.

And Claire wouldn't be able to explain to either her sister or her husband the force behind the sudden change of heart. It was the same feeling that was pushing her to finish the dresses as quickly as possible, pinning extra fabric up in case any of the girls hit a growth spurt after their dress was finished.

Something was waiting at the edge of her consciousness, pushing, pushing, pushing. Not hard, but very insistently. Something was going to happen, and Claire wanted to do something she hadn't before, just in case the 'something' ended badly.

Tension was thick in the air by the time they reached Jill's farm. Claire and Skye were, for once, not speaking to each other. Jamie and Lauren were both too wary to break the silence, so when Jill came up to them with her bright smile the twins were relieved.

"Ready to take a crack at racing again sis?" Jill's amethyst eyes glittered with warm mirth, melting the tension. "Follow me and we'll kit you out."

Skye made a faintly unhappy sound, prompting Claire to give him an annoyed look.

"Oh relax Skye," Jill grinned. "I'll return her to you undamaged. Cinnamon's a good racing horse."

"That's not what I'm worried about," the silver-haired man huffed under his breath.

"Dad's lucky he's out of reach, or Mom would have hit him for that," Jamie whispered to his twin.

"No kidding."

Jill and Claire headed into the farmhouse, leaving Skye and the twins to put the horses away.

"Dad, what's up? You two are… snapping at each other.." Lauren's voice was tentative. "It's weird."

"Your mother hasn't ever actually raced before… She usually refuses, so I'm… worried," and Skye's smile was rueful. "I should trust her, but I've never seen her race so I don't know how good she might be. She's never even _told_ me if she's really raced before."

"It's Mom," Lauren laughed. "She's too stubborn to fail."

Jamie snorted his agreement, and even Skye had to acknowledge that fact. He didn't _like_ it, but he acknowledged it as truth. Claire _was_ stubborn… sometimes too much so.

He just shook his head lightly, sea-green eyes reflective. The twins exchanged knowing looks, and rolled their eyes in unison. Parents were so _weird…_

* * *

Claire and Cinnamon were in the second race of the day, and it wasn't until she was actually up on the horse that she started to feel the beginnings of nerves.

"Just trust the horse," Jill called from the fence. "He knows what to do!"

"Right," Claire muttered, "as if I needed the reminder."

Several other racers gave her idle, curious glances now. They recognized Cinnamon, but not the blonde woman riding him. She lifted her chin, setting her jaw stubbornly.

She had a _title_ to uphold, and no pompous jerk from the City was going to take her sister's place, not if _she_ had anything to say about it. Forcibly she closed everything out, focusing only on feeling the horse and his movements.

He too was nervous, knowing that this was the usual race, but _not_ his usual rider. Claire soothed him in the only way she could, running her fingers over his shoulders and mane, the only parts of him she could reach.

"We're going to win this," she stated. "We _are!_"

* * *

Jill had placed hefty bets on Claire, trusting in her sister's nature. Skye watched her for a long moment, brows coming together in a faint frown.

"What?" Jill demanded after a minute, flicking him a curious look.

"Doesn't it seem odd to you that she's agreed to race?" he said.

"No, with Gray hurt and my kids to young to enter the races legally, it made sense that she would actually step up," Jill shrugged her shoulders lightly.

"And you have every trust in her ability?"

"You have never seen my sister race," and Jill smirked slightly. "Relax Skye, Claire and I _are_ siblings. We all learned to race from our Dad, and even though she's never entered before… well, you'll see."

But it was because Skye _hadn't_ seen that he was worried, and after a minute Jill laid a hand on his arm.

"Jack is the best, it's true," she said quietly. "But if Claire ever wanted to, she could _easily_ take my title. It's just not in her nature to be competitive with either of her siblings. Not anymore, at least."

Skye looked down at his pregnant sister-in-law, and slowly, started to relax.

Up until the starter pistol went off, making them both jump about a foot. Jamie and Lauren, returning with roasted corn and cotton candy, both laughed.

* * *

It was a feeling that Claire had almost forgotten, the dreamlike quality of the starting seconds. She could feel Cinnamon bunching under her, and gave the horse enough of a head to stretch his legs, while keeping enough reins in her hands to control him and prevent accidents.

She slid, leaning her weight forward and rising up slightly in the saddle as he shot out of the gate, her hair a braid of sunshine whipping out behind her, the rush of the wind drowning out the sounds of the cheering crowd.

Oh yes… this was a feeling that she had _missed_. But past her early teen years, competing with her siblings had lost it flare of fun, which was why she had stopped racing in the first place. It made her wish, for the first time, that there could be a race held out in the Valley.

It was over all too quickly. The flash of the camera nearly blinded her, and she swore under her breath, wincing as she pulled Cinnamon back from a headlong controlled gallop into a stately trot, then down to a walk.

She could hear Jill's cheering over anyone else, and tipped back her helmet to grin in the direction of her sister. Skye's expression—shock and awe—made her laugh that bright, carefree laugh that could—and always had—brought up answering smiles.

That had been _marvelous!_

* * *

_That. Was. _Awesome! _I'd forgotten how much fun racing was. And Skye's stunned bunny 'I can't believe you just _did_ that' look was priceless!_

_I could hardly get off the horse without help though, talk about adrenaline… I'm glad I didn't try, the subsequent falling down on my butt would have _totally_ ruined the image._

_I think I'll have to take Honey out running more. Not to train, but because I love that feeling… The way the wind rushes around me, the scenery flying by… Mmm. I wonder if Skye will race with me?_


	12. June 1, Summer, Year 36

**June 1, Summer, year 36**

Popi and Kai are _here_ this year! Rick's going to throw a fit, he wanted them at Mineral Town so that Popi could answer the phone of Chicken Lil's the way she used to.

Not that I can really blame him, but May's more than old enough to take over Barley's ranch, and then _he_ could do the phone answering instead of Lillia. Or, May could work the phone if he _really_ grew attached to the farm…

Bah, Rick's still an idiot after fifteen years. He constantly harasses Popuri about her lack of children.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love the girl, she's sweet and kind, but wheat sort of life is that for a child? A nomad's life isn't one I would wish on any of _mine_, that's for dang sure! It's probably one of the more intelligent things she's ever decided, and sticking by it has to be hard with Rick around.

Thank goodness he only drops by here rarely, she'll be free of the harassment. At least until the Cow festival, I think…

Oh, right, Alan got his cast off two weeks ago! He's been… surprisingly helpful since then. I guess whatever Skye said to him took. With the way he's been acting and behaving, I might give him back his net soon after all.

Maybe before the Vegetable festival… Mmm, I'll have to think on it.

I've been having… odd dreams lately. Winny says I could be getting prophetic dreams, since I've been exposed to so much magic for such a long period of time. By which, I think she means not only Skye but carrying my kids. Considering half their genetics came from him and all, it does make sense that I would get some lingering effects after that.

She thinks that they're telling me about something in the future, but I have to admit that a jumble of images of a place I don't recognize, hardly counts as a dream for me.

It's such a beautiful place though… in my dreams I'm usually walking through a floral garden… _surrounded_ by roses that not only glow white, but gold! Which leads me to wonder if there isn't a Sun Rose to go along with the Moon Rose, but asking that question would mean trying to explain my dreams to Skye, and… I'm not ready to do that yet. I want to be able to make sense of them first.

Anyways, as I'm walking along this path, I have to admit that I feel… cold. There's people there, but they all seem to be ignoring me, as if I simply don't register in their attention. Like I'm a bug or something else utterly negligible.

What really gets me is that _Skye_ is a part of them… It makes my heart hurt to think he might do something like that. Maybe the _old_ him, the one who was PoM before he came here, but not now.

He's the only one I recognize though, and after being ignored for a bit I decide to wander the paths. There's something… pushing me on, pushing me forward, to a place at the center of this place, but I always wake up before I get there.

It's so… _sad_. And I don't know why _I'm_ the one getting these dreams. If it deals with the PoM, you'd think Skye would be the one waking abruptly with sweat on his forehead, not _me!_

I do wonder what I'm supposed to be shown. Blinding light obscures it, and… fear, yes, that's it… _fear_ flings me out of my sleep. Rather abruptly at that too. I've fallen out of the bed at least twice now. The floor is _not_ a comfortable landing spot, not to mention it tends to wake Skye up.

Though admittedly it's not too hard to wake him now. In the beginning he took a _long_ time to get used to being awake during the day as opposed to the nighttime. Pretty much kicking him out of bed at six every morning _did_ help him adjust, but _boy_ was he a slug in the mornings.

It's amusing, compared to now. Now he's up either with me, or slightly before, since he makes the breakfast that we all come in to after dawn chores, _and_ he helps me with all the off-the-farm crops, no mean feat.

Expanding Mom and Dad's fruit tree forest was fun, planting crazy loads of grass was worth all the effort, and all of this… This life, this work.. is ours. Mine, his, and our kids.

You know, some days I never want it to end. I want it to go on and on for all of eternity.

Most of the time though, I know the truth or my own mortality. I don't _have_ forever, and I don't _want_ forever… Not even for Skye. I know he doesn't understand. I know that other people, given the same choice, might choose to take what he's been offering me for the past sixteen years.

But not me. I am part of time's river, and building a dam would.. well, it wouldn't let me be myself anymore. I'm _mortal_, I know what this means and how I can be. I _don't_ _want_ immortality.

It's so… sad. Having to watch loved ones die and fade until the only thing keeping them alive is the memories you have of them. And even memories fade over time. Outlive my sister? My cousins, my _children?_

I wouldn't be able to take it. I would break and I _know_ this.

So I refuse him, again and again. I love him, with every piece of my heart, every fiber of my being, but this one thing… I cannot do.

And I need to stop or I'll start crying and then he'll wake and worry…

Let's go back to the dreams. Even if they scare me, they don't depress me, which is a sight better.

…Actually, I think I feel like a midnight snack. Maybe some milk and cookies.


	13. June 4, Summer, Year 36

**June 4, Summer, year 36**

_Oh, _oww…._ I forgot how _painful_ this festival was to the body. Especially with attempting to fight the current!_

_Fun though, it always is. _Exhausting _too, which is just what I needed._

_

* * *

_

Claire's lack of sleep didn't go unnoticed by her family, but none of them were quite brave enough to bring it up. The blonde's mood were relatively mercurial when she was sleep deprived, and though she might feel bad about it later, she would still snap at them if they trod the wrong way.

"Hey Mom?" Lauren reached out and poked her mother lightly with the tines of the fork. "Festival?"

"Oh," Claire blinked, and the weariness left her blue eyes. "Right! Swimming festival!"

Skye smiled faintly as everyone relaxed. The blonde loved the Swimming festival, especially in the heat of Summer, when it was actually _sensible­_—though admittedly not _safe_—to actually set foot in the ocean.

Most people preferred the beach. Claire had always loved the water, even with the dangerous riptide, and the pranks she pulled within the first few days of summer were always dealing with ways to beat the heat.

Not that everyone enjoyed them…

"Well?" Claire asked with a touch of her old asperity, "is everyone going to sit her staring, or are we going to get ready for two days of beachtime _fun_?"

In almost no time, the table was cleared and everyone scurried away to their rooms to change into proper summertime clothes. Skye reached out and lightly touched her shoulder.

"You alright?"

"Been better, been worse," she replied truthfully, before shifting the subject. She just wasn't ready to say anything yet. "Come on, if they beat us down to the beach, we'll never hear the end of it."

* * *

Kids, teens, and parents all filtered down to the beach, a volleyball and net in one person's arms, a badminton set carried by another, and the water 'cage' and balls by still another.

Claire and her kids were dressed… sensibly, as far as swimsuits went. Rock was still wearing a Speedo, no matter how old he got, and it never failed to be as amusing as all get out. Lumina's expression was highly entertaining as well, from the look on Elizabeth's face, she shared her mother's sentiments.

Of course, so did most of the people on the beach, who had a hard time talking to Rock with a straight face.

"Some things never change," Claire murmured, trying to muffle a chuckle.

"If only they _would_," Skye whispered back.

"Mommy, why is he wearing underwear?"

Meredith's innocent question broke all of Claire's resolve and she burst out laughing. Alan and Mirei snickered, Jamie and Lauren tried to look _anywhere_ but a Rock, and Skye just shook his head.

* * *

When it came to the ball-grab, the net had been made larger, the number of small colored balls had been increased, and the number of them raised.

Considering the mothers were competing with their children, it wasn't that hard to understand. More people and all that.

Claire _loved_ it. The hot sun beating down was a stark contrast to the coolness of the sea around her. And competing against her kids was fun as well, though it usually broke into sets, mothers against mothers and kids against kids.

Sometimes it prevented hurt feelings, other times it created them. But it was supposed to be a "friendly" competition, not anything dire or dramatic.

Claire and Lauren staggered out of the water at almost the same moment, with Lumina and Flora both a close second. The rest of the females in the water were now just chasing for the heck of it, which made the farmer smile fondly.

"A pity they don't combine the two festivals," she murmured to herself. "But then again two days stretches out the fun."

"You say something Mom?" Lauren asked, taking aim with one of the balls at her little sister still in the water.

"Don't hit your sister," Claire chuckled, swiping the ball from her oldest daughter's hand.

"Aww, _Mom!_"

* * *

After the first main event was lunch, something that everyone could agree on. Though it was less lunch and more an eating contest, even with the _real_ eating contest not happening until the second day.

Popuri and Kai were kept hopping as people ordered food, and eventually Skye joined them, much to Claire's amusement. This tended to happen every year, ever since the Valley had accepted Skye. There had even been a comment made that he should make the eating contest a _curry_ eating contest, but that had been vetoed pretty quickly.

It wasn't surprising, considering the heat. It only let up with the frequent summer storms that tended to tear shreds out of crops, so in her own way Claire loathed and loved summertime.

Protected by the shade of a beach umbrella, Mirei, Alan and Meredith all fell asleep. Lauren didn't doze, but she didn't have any interest in the rest of the festivities, and spent all _her_ time drawing.

Claire chose to keep an eye on them, content now to watch Jamie excel at both the Frisbee toss—with Annie, one of the new farm-dog mothers—and the ball toss with Ducky, who had been named for Dakota… more or less.

Once the lunch rush ended, Skye joined her in the watching, wrapping a comfortable arm around her waist and pulling her close.

"You can nap too," he teased gently.

Claire's elbow impacted his ribs, just hard enough to let him know that she wasn't very amused, but at the same time not hard enough to indicate serious displeasure. He winced, laughed, and nudged her back.

Which eventually developed into tickling, and soon enough the blonde farmer had collapsed into giggles, begging reprieve, since she couldn't exactly return the favor. Skye had the fortune to _not_ be ticklish, and he used that to his advantage every chance he got.

Soon enough though, the sky overhead began to glow orange and red with the setting sun, and people parted for the day. Claire carried Meredith, who made a sleepy noise of protest, Skye had Alan on his back, and Lauren carried Mirei.

"At least we know who won't be eating supper tonight," Skye joked.

"That would be… oh, _everyone?_" Claire's tone was dry, and she had to stifle a sudden yawn. "That's the mixed blessing of this festival, it's always _so_ exhausting…"

Which she hoped would work in her favor. She was really _tired_ of the strange dreams. Pun not intended.

After putting the younger kids together there was just enough energy left to do the evening chores before they fell into their respective beds.

Claire slept deeply, but unfortunately this didn't prevent her from dreaming. At just past midnight, she jerked in her sleep, and her blue eyes snapped open, heart pounding a swift staccato rhythm.

Seeing no danger, she rapidly slipped back into slumber, and this time it _was_ dreamless.

* * *

The second day was similar to the first. The boys piled into the water this time as opposed to the girls and it shocked almost everyone when Timothy emerged the victor, Rock included.

"Beaten by my own flesh and blood," he lamented. "How will I _ever_ live it down?"

"The same way you live down the Speedo," Muffy shouted, eliciting spurts of laughter all over the beach. "_Barely!_"

More laughter, and even Lumina had to agree that the Speedo was _sorely_ out of date. Not that anyone could ever convince Rock of this, the lazy man loved his Speedo and refused to get rid of it.

"_Please_ not on the beach," Claire's laughter was all too obvious. "We don't need traumatized kids ending out the day."

Snorts and spurts, followed by several people shuddering in genuine horror. Muffy gave her a high-five, and Lumina was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"Who says only the _kids_ would be traumatized?" Nami muttered, shuddering again.

Gustafa was trying _very_ hard to not turn that into a comedic song of some type, as Melissa tried to pretend that she was invisible. Lauren went to keep her company, sympathizing.

"Grown-ups," the girls said in disgusted unison.

Shortly after they snuck away, to hide up at the Goddess Pond and it's solitary silence. Lauren naturally told her mother, who nodded, giving both girls the permission to run away for the day.

The Eating-Contest was—as usual—a hit. This year's theme had been watermelons, and eating to the rind. Claire only had two pieces, she wasn't an official contestant, and was more preoccupied with making sure that Meri didn't get watermelon juice all over her face and in her hair.

It was definitely an improvement on the hot dogs of last year, where everyone had eaten too much and nearly all of them had ended up groaning on the beach. Entertaining, sure, but somewhat annoying as well.

Skye won this.

"How _does_ he stay so skinny?" Muffy demanded.

"Farm work does that," Claire teased. "Muscle and scrawniness. You could help if you wanted…"

"No way!" her cousin immediately turned the idea down, give the blue-eyed woman a sour look. "Digging in the dirt is _not_ my style."

Claire just laughed and shook her head in rueful resignation.

"Can't say I didn't try," she winked.

"Keep this up and I'll throw you in the ocean," Muffy threatened, trying her best to _not_ smile.

"You and what army?" Claire's smile was saccharinely sweet.

"Where do they get the _energy?_" Griffin wondered as Claire and Muffy tore down the beach, the former laughing her head off.

"The sun?" Skye joked. "Sunny days prompt more work… at least for some people."

"You sound like Carter," the bartender chuckled. "Or maybe Alan, Claire's dad. He always said that the sun was a blessing and a curse because of how much work it created."

Now Skye chuckled, watching as Claire ducked around behind Flora, involving the third blond in the Valley in the game.

"It's worth it though," the silver-haired man said. "Always."

"Definitely Alan. No matter how hard the farm work got, he always had this grin on his face," Griffin smiled reminiscently. "And dirt… there was the perpetual muddy streak going across one cheek that only vanished in the winter."

The thief-turned farmer laughed.

"That's more Claire," he said, sea-green eyes glittering with mirth, "a smudge across the nose, a streak across the forehead…"

"Immersed in the work of the world," Carter chimed in, making both men jump. "Like she should be."

* * *

"You guy looked like you were having an in-depth conversation," Claire remarked tiredly as she brushed her hair in preparation for bed.

"Griffin and Carter told me more about your parents," Skye chuckled, nipping the brush from her hands and detangling the mass of gold himself. "It was pretty amusing the way they compared us to them."

"Mmm," Claire sighed softly. "I'm not certain I want to know…"

If there was one thing Skye had learned about Claire it was that running a brush through her hair was the quickest way to put her to sleep, and considering the activities of the passing days, it wasn't _too_ underhanded of a trick.

"Probably not," he agreed softly one she had slipped into sleep. "Though I wish you would tell me what keeps waking you up at night, love…"

* * *

_Mmm, I'm _still_ half-dead on my feet, and I hardly _did_ anything. It was probably the heat, that sort of thing always saps energy…_

_Ah well, I'll get over it. Maybe go to bed early for the next few days._

_I wonder if sleeping pills would stop the dreams?_


	14. June 10, Summer, Year 36

**June 10, Summer, year 36**

_One of these days I'm going to remember that there's grudges from the previous Goddess festival to work out…_

* * *

To say that all of them were covered in tomato guts would have been _optimistic_, Claire knew full well. It was more like they were all _plastered_ in it.

Having been given the option to go or stay, she had chosen the latter and had taken the time to get herself a dreamless period of sleep, as well as finish two of the four dresses, Lauren's and Alicia's.

"So, who started the war this time?"

Lauren and Jamie immediately pointed to the younger twins, who were glaring at each other. Claire sighed in resignation.

"Hose," she pointed sternly to the opposite side of the house. "There is no way you all are going to get tomato guts on the floor."

Not even _Skye_ was exempt from that comment, and the silver-haired man just shook his head ruefully.

"I _did_ try to make them stop," he said mock-meekly at the stern pointing finger of his wife.

"Of that I have no doubt," her voice was dry enough that the grass should have caught fire by proximity alone. "Hose husband of mine, while I figure out who I should let in the bath first."

* * *

-several hours earlier-

"You sure you want to stay?" Skye asked, lightly touching Claire's cheek.

"Quite. I can use the empty house to my best advantage," and her smile couldn't hide the dark circles that were starting to make themselves known under her eyes. "Just don't let them drown in tomatoes, alright?"

"_Da-ad!_ Hurry up!"

"Go on now," Claire laughed. "Before they try to ride off without you."

He gave her a brief, gentle kiss and did as commanded, raising an eyebrow at Jamie, who had been the one complaining.

"We'll get there with plenty of time to spare," he chuckled, swinging up onto Midnight's back.

"What about Mommy?" Meredith asked, mismatched eyes looking around for the blonde, then up at her father.

"Mommy's staying in today kitten," Skye replied nudging the horse into a walk. "She needs a bit of sleep, and time to herself."

The four-year-old seemed to think about this, then pouted. But she didn't, thankfully, start crying for her mother.

"I wonder if Mom's okay," Lauren murmured softly, trying not to let her father overhear. "She's been acting funny recently, like something's after her or… I dunno…"

Mirei looked up at her sister, and shrugged.

"Momma's just sleepy," the nine-year-old replied. "She gets lots done and not lots of sleep…"

"Mom gets _plenty_ of sleep," Jamie protested, his voice as low as his twin's. "I agree with Lauren, something's wrong with her."

"Maybe we should see if we can't get her to Doc Hardy's?" said twin sighed softly. "Though getting Mom to admit she's not okay is like pulling teeth."

Alan and Mirei both shuddered. Neither of them were fond of the dentist that they had to visit in the city, and any analogies to teeth pulling unnerved the younger pair.

"Dad could do it," Jamie nodded. "But again it's making Mom admit she's not feeling okay that's the hard part."

"Maybe we can ask Auntie Jill?" Alan piped up suddenly, making his older siblings jump. "She might know what's wrong with Momma…"

* * *

They didn't get the chance to ask, as they were shooed along to the festival shortly after arriving. Skye however, _had_ heard their conversation, and did.

"Maybe she's just having some bad dreams," Jill suggested. "When we were kids she'd have these really vivid scary dreams that usually ended up waking the whole house."

"But every night?" Skye ran a hand through his hair. "And she won't admit to it either, it's worrying me."

"You've asked her then?"

"Several times…" Sea-green eyes narrowed in frustration. "But she always changes the subject no matter what I say."

"You're probably just going to have to keep at it," Jill suggested gently. Reaching out to pat his hand. "It's Claire, she's stubborn…"

"Tell me something I _don't_ know," the former thief muttered.

The purple-eyed woman laughed, and gave Skye a gentle push.

"Better get to the festival before the kids get all tomatoed up," she joked. "There's a _huge_ batch of them this year, so the free-for-all ought to be hilarious."

* * *

The contest hadn't even technically _started_, but the free-for-all certainly had. Boys against girls, and the girls appeared to be winning. Even Meredith was throwing tomato remains… Skye had to duck quickly to keep from getting hit himself, put two fingers in his mouth and blew a sharp whistle.

_His_ kids stopped instantly, and found things to hide behind. The rest of them took twenty minutes to realize that there was an adult there, at which point Skye had been hit with several pieces of tomato.

There was silence for a long moment as other parents started to filter down, expecting to see the kids teaming up. An already gunky Square was _not_ part of that equation.

It was almost funny, Lauren winced, to see all the differing parental expressions of disapproval.

"I guess they got a headstart on us," Ann sighed. "You know, just _once_, I'd like to come to a tomato festival and _not_ have the place already be a complete disaster…"

Which pretty much meant that once the actual competition was over, they would _all_ be mopping up the tomato remains. Fred started to point towards Alan, ready to pin the blame, but Cassidy kicked his ankle, _hard_, in the way of a sibling, and the boy fell silent.

"Might as well pass over the actual competition all-together," Karen snorted. "What the heck, they're kids."

And before Ann could reply, the green eyed cousin to Claire and Jill scooped up some tomato remains and tossed them at the redhead.

And the war began.

* * *

Claire, once she heard the full story, laughed until she cried. Skye tried to look miffed, but in the end her laughter was too infectious, and he joined in.

"Oh Goddess," Claire wiped her streaming blue eyes, and tried desperately to catch her breath. "_Only_ Karen…"

"To be fair, it _was_ Alan who launched the first tomato," Skye chuckled.

"Eh, it's a tomato tossing festival," Claire's eyes glittered with suppressed mirth. "And I take it there were feuds from the Goddess festival left un-revenged upon?"

"_Many_," and Skye tossed one arm up expansively. "And all of them apparently got resolved in one afternoon of 'Death By Tomato.'

More giggles, muffled by a handy pillow that Claire was apparently trying to eat. Skye raised an eyebrow, almost comically.

"I don't think cotton fiber is edible love," he teased.

Then he ducked as the pillow was thrown in his direction

* * *

_At least we won't have to worry about anything like that until _next_ year again. _Jeez!


	15. June 17, Summer, Year 36

**June 17, Summer, year 36**

I won the Veggie fest! Mwahahaha! It took me near seventeen years but I finally _did it!_

Ironically, with last years pineapple. But I don't think I should tell Vesta that… the woman's scary enough as it is! I mean, she took her defeat okay, since I'm the only other 'serious' farmer, but still…

Being told your freshest of the fresh veggies lost to last years fruits would definitely be a painful blow. Probably to my back, all things considered. Vesta is _not_ known for her temper control.

Though I'll admit she has gotten better about it. I don't think Marlin would let her hang around his kids if she couldn't control herself, sister or not. So she's got some, but not really a lot.

Hah… None of us are very good at losing, though I seem to do it the most often. Though I did manage to win big where it matters the most…

My dreams are getting odder. I was holding a _knife_ in the last one, only it was a knife that any normal person would recognize. It almost… seemed to be made of glass. But not.

It's hard to describe, even in my dreams…

I'm not _me_ anymore, that much I know. So whatever is happening it's not me that's doing this. It almost feels like Skye, but it's not him either, and I know _that_ for certain cause I still see him in the dreams.

Hmm…

The knife, it's… not decorative, it's made for killing. Killing someone important too, I know that much. But I can't see who's being killed or who's doing the killing, just the knife and a whole lot of red.

It's… frightening. Like the one dealing the death is doing it for a bigger, more important reason than just this first kill. This first kill is just a… a stepping stone to a later, more important kill.

One that will earn prestige and honor, as long as the killing can be pinned to someone else.

It's _scary_ to have thoughts like that, when I have a hard time killing livestock for food. It's how I _know_ that it's not me who's doing this. I could never… I have almost too much reverence for life and living.

I… I think I should tell Skye about these soon. The intensity of them is… there's not a word strong enough for it. It's more than terror, more than anything I've ever felt. I want it to _stop!_ I want my dreams to be oddly vivid but full of random, harmless images again, like they're _supposed_ to be.

I want to be able to relax into sleep and not wonder if I'm going to wake with blood on my hands…

It's that pushing feeling again too… Whatever my dreams are trying to tell me about, it's going to happen here _soon_, and it'll have repercussions that are felt all the way here on Earth.

I've finished all but Melissa's dress, and that's in its final stages as well… I hope that whatever happens it turns out to be nothing and passes me by. I don't want to be responsible for trying to change the world.


	16. July 8, Summer, Year 36

**July 8, Summer, year 36**

_Sleep eludes me. On the one hand, I don't dream, on the other, it affects the day to day living._

_I've learned though that if I nap during the day I don't dream in the slightest. I'd better hurry, it's almost time for the judging of the cow in the Cow festival._

_Mmm, chocolate milk sounds really good right about now._

* * *

With an animal _in_ the festival, Claire was not allowed to be a real judge, but she was—like the rest of the people there—allowed to be a taste-tester for the unmarked milk cans.

Alan hated milk, and Mirei despised it without chocolate in it, but the other members of her family seemed to love it as much as the blonde herself, and happily applied themselves to the testing in the same manner as their tired mother.

She leaned against Skye, and unlike most times it was _not_ for show. The dreams had been making it next to impossible for her to catch more than two hours of sleep at any time, and the brief naps she took during the day once all the work was finished simply wasn't replacing the lost energy.

"You shouldn't be here," he said softly as she sipped a small cup of milk and made a face. "You should be home, _resting_."

"I'm not going to pass out Skye," and her voice lacked the bite the words would normally have held. "And I _want_ to be here. It's…"

She struggled for a minute with the words, her exhaustion making them slip beyond her reach.

"It's _safer_," she finally sighed. "And no, I don't understand why. I think it's you…"

How could he say no to that? He knew better than anyone how little Claire liked to be thought of as weak, how little she liked to be protected. If she was voluntarily submitting to said protection… as Jill often put it, it was three blocks south of the Twilight Zone. Barely.

So he closed his teeth over more words of worry, just holding her and giving her the silent support she apparently needed.

Alan and Mirei had run off to play with their friends, but Jamie and Laurie were keeping a close eye on their mother. The didn't catch the quiet conversation, but it was clear who came out on top, and Lauren shook her head.

"Dad's never going to make her leave you know," Jamie commented idly. "More than he wants her to go home he wants to _protect_ her."

"Oh, you have a wealth of knowledge now that you're fifteen dear twin?" Lauren's sarcasm was a biting as her mother's was not, making Jamie give her a sour look.

"It's a _guy_ thing," he snorted. "Guys protect the ones they love."

"Girls can do it too," Lauren pointed out, annoyance vanishing as quickly as it had arrived. "Mom does a good job of protecting _us_, after all."

"Mom is… Mom," Jamie shrugged, blue eyes reflective. "And I know there's lots of girls like her too."

He nudged his twin with his foot, grinning slightly. Lauren snorted her amusement, and picked up another milk jug to taste.

"But initially the guy wants to do the protecting," he continued. "And that's why Dad will let her stay until she's ready to leave. It's his way of protecting her, based on what all she might've said."

"Yeah, alright," Lauren sighed, "I'll grant you that one. I kind of wish she'd talk about it though…"

"She's Mom," Jamie replied, as if it explained everything.

And oddly enough, it did.

* * *

_Didn't win this year, but that's alright. I think Clover is a bit unhappy because I haven't been spending a lot of time in the fields with her. I hardly had time to catch my nap before someone wanted something… I hope I don't dream tonight._

* * *

  
-Midnight-

Claire moaned softly in her sleep, rolling first in one direction than the other. The only reason she had the room to do this was because—at her insistence—Skye had gone to check up on his family status.

Since the expansion to the girl's room had been completed, Meredith had begun to sleep with her sisters instead of her mother. She didn't _like_ it, but it was better for her, and it eased Claire's mind to think that she wouldn't toss and turn onto her four-year old child.

**She was running… no, not **_**her**_**, a male body. But she was with him, and he was running. There was a distance to this run, as if the panic and fear itself were very far away.**

**A glance over the shoulder revealed the blue-tinted glass-looking knife that she had seen before. Just from the other end. It didn't take her long to realize that she was not the antagonist this time, but the victim.**

**She struggled against the sleep then, trying to avoid what she knew was coming.**

The scream woke the entire house, and everyone tumbled into the bedroom. Claire was sitting up in the bed, blue eyes wide in such a pale face, almost the shade of one of the glowing roses that she loved so much. The blankets were clutched in what could kindly be called a death grip, and even with her children around her, it took several long minutes before she could relax her hands enough to release said covers.

Mute and shaking, she stared blankly at her kids, all of whom were trying to get her to speak. All with the same degree of success, that is to say, none.

"Jamie, go get Dad," Lauren snapped. "Get him back here _now!_"

The teenager _flew_, not even bothering to grab his boots. The summer night was muggy and warm, it wasn't like it mattered too much.

"Dad!" he called, running up the path to the Goddess Pond. "_Dad!_"

Skye blinked, turning away from the messenger who sniffed a little at being dismissed for a _child_, even a son. He caught Jamie as the boy stumbled to a halt, brows drawing together in concern as the teen gasped for breath.

"Mom," he panted. "Can't make her… respond! Gotta come home!"

Skye looked to the messenger, who simply bowed and vanished. Then his sea-green gaze returned to his oldest son, and Jamie straightened a little, despite the stitch in his side.

"What happened to Claire?" Skye asked quietly.

"Nightmare?" the teenager offered, knowing how weak it sounded. "She _screamed_ Dad…"

Which was entirely unlike Claire, enough so that Skye immediately started off, pulling his son with him.

* * *

While they waited for Jamie to return, Lauren had taken quick, efficient control of the situation.

"Mirei, go put some milk in Mom's favorite cup and nuke it for thirty seconds, then add the chocolate. Alan, there's a box of blankets in Mom's sewing room, get the pale pink one from the box and bring it out to the couch."

Glad for something to do besides be afraid for their mother, the younger twins darted off to do their assigned duties. Lauren reached out and lightly touched Claire's hands, which were almost as pale as her face.

Claire jumped about a foot at the gentle touch, and it was clear that it took her several seconds to recognize her own daughter.

"Mom," and Lauren pitched her voice in the way Claire had done before, to soothe them when they had their own bad dreams. "Mom, we're gonna move out to the couch to wait for Dad, okay?"

A long silence followed the question, then a slow nod of acquiescence that was so unlike her mother that Laurie found herself wanting to cry. Meredith was the only child left, standing in the doorway and rubbing sleepily as her eyes as her four-year-old mind tried to make sense of the bizarre scene.

Lauren had to lead Claire like she was an invalid to the couch, Meri following like a silent shadow and clambering into Claire's lap once it was available. The familiar weight of a child, the blanket she'd had since she was that age, and the warm chocolate milk slowly started to bring the color back into Claire's face.

Words however, still eluded her, and nothing Lauren said got more than a nod or shake of her blonde head. She just hadn't fully reconnected enough with the real world.

Skye pushing the door open got a great deal more than that. For once entirely heedless of drink or small child, Claire let both go—Lauren was able to catch her sister, but the handle of the cup broke into several pieces—and flung herself over the back of the couch at her husband.

_Now_ she regained her speech, but it was mixed with panicked tears, and gulping sobs, garbled into unintelligibility. Skye just held her close, letting her hide against him in a way that she so rarely did, and murmured soothingly.

Meredith, bewildered, nearly started to cry herself. Lauren hushed her gently, soothing the baby of the family back to sleep in a manner almost identical to the way that Skye was attempting to soothe his wife.

They were all unwilling to leave their mother in such a state, but in truth they were as bewildered as Meri, and as the adrenaline drained out of them, exhaustion crept back in. Alan and Mirei tried to stifle their yawns.

Skye looked at his children, and gave them proud smiles.

"Go back to bed," he said softly. "I'll tell you what happened in the morning."

Slowly, reluctantly, the two sets of twins—one carrying the four-year-old—did, drifting back to their rooms where, despite the sleepiness, they continued to lay awake for some time, worrying about their mother.

* * *

It took Claire almost two hours to calm down enough to be able to speak coherently, at which point they were sitting on the couch together. Gold and silver hair mingled as Skye continued to be rock that Claire held onto with an almost desperate strength.

"I was… running," she finally managed thickly, tears still sliding down her face. "Running from someone who… was pursuing me to kill me. Because that way they could… could further a plan to kill someone _else_!"

She shudder, and his arms tightened around her shoulders. Had he not known better he would have said it sounded like what had happened to Laurie's namesake… Except Damien had snuck up on Lauren then, there had been no running.

Also, Lauren's spirit had moved on to the next life, after teasing him one last time. There was no way that it was a post-cognitive dream.

"The knife," she whispered softly, answering his unspoken question. "Blue… like glass, or maybe ice. It glowed as it-"

He cut her off then, as she began to shake again, running his fingers through her long, unbound hair.

A blue glass knife… it almost sounded like one of the ritual daggers needed to execute a traitor up in the Kingdoms of the Moon. Magically enchanted to be stronger than even diamond, those knives could end a PoM life faster than anything else in the known world. They were also called 'Soul Stealers' and where harder than hell to obtain outside of a war.

Why had she dreamed about something like _that?_

He smoothed the tears from her cheeks, smoothed her hair from her face, and didn't try to make her look up at him. She needed comfort now, in a way that she hadn't needed in a very long time, and all his questions could wait until she was less… abjectly panicked.

Slowly, eased by his voice, hands, and just general presence, Claire began to calm down again. Skye continued to wait, judging carefully. He had to know more, but he also had to be careful about asking. It wouldn't do to have her panic all over again into incoherency.

"These are the dreams you've been having?" he asked her gently, as the grandfather clock stuck fifteen minutes past four in the morning. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted them… to make sense," she whispered, fingers still curled tightly in the fabric of his shirt. "I didn't want to talk to you about things I couldn't make sense of… and I thought they were just _dreams_! What else was I supposed to think?"

Sky sighed faintly, too relived to have her talking normally again to be annoyed.

"Claire, my love," he gently brushed his fingertips against her cheek. "When dreams make you lose sleep, it's something you need to talk about next time, okay? I don't want you to suffer like this again."

She looked up at last, blue eyes meeting and holding sea-green. So much swirled in those depths, Skye noted. Fear definitely, sorrow, uncertainty… and love, underneath it all.

"Okay," she nodded at last. "Okay…"

He let out a longer, more clearly relieved sigh, leaned in, and kissed her forehead gently.

"Come on, You need to at least _try_ to get some sleep… Your sister might not be able to reach me, but Muffy sure can, and your cousins hits _hard!_"

A ghost of a smile crossed her lips as Skye stood, then picked her up, cradling her to his chest. The steady beating of his heart lulled her into a half-aware state.

Unfortunately that state didn't get to last very long. As Skye pushed open the door to their bedroom, the Moon Rose resting on the windowsill—in the same pot that he had given her sixteen years go—flared an almost blinding white. Claire closed her eyes tightly, hiding her face into Skye's chest, and he shifted his grip on her, attempting to shade his eyes as well.

When the light died away, there was a messenger there, one Skye had never seen before. She went down on one knee, head bowed, and spoke the words that the former thief had believed he had _years_ before he would hear.

"Prince Sora, your father has passed away. Your Honored Mother requires your presence as quickly as possible."


	17. July 9, Summer, Year 36

**July 9, Summer, year 36**

Skye actually felt his legs sway slightly, and very hastily locked his knees so that he wouldn't fall in an undignified heap, bringing his wife to him.

Claire's shock was of an entirely different flavor, banishing her fright of the previous moments and replacing it was a different one. It was _too soon_ for this to be happening… right?

"Prince Sora?"

Had it been any other time, the blonde would have teased her husband for his name. But shell-shock took precedence over even a joke, and who could make jokes at a time like this?

"I… hear," Skye said heavily. "I request a day to prepare."

"At your convenience Honored Eldest Son," the messenger bowed her head again.

Light flared once more, and when it dimmed the room was empty once more.

Well… mostly. Drawn by the sudden light there were two pairs of twins in the room once again.

"Dad?"

Skye set Claire carefully on her feet, and took several deep breaths. This was _not_ how things were supposed to be going, he was supposed to have years, _centuries_ even, before he was summoned.

Not like this, in the middle of the life he _wanted_. It was his turn to retreat slightly from the world. It lasted until he heard Claire telling the children to start packing. Startled his head came up, to meet a pair of burning blue eyes.

"If you protest I'll deck you," she warned. "You're _not_ going alone."

"But… you can't…"

One blonde eyebrow raised.

"Oh, I think you'll find that I _can_," and she even smiled in genuine—if sour—amusement. "I _am_ your wife after all."

There was something under the words that he was missing, something that she was not saying because she trusted him to understand the reason behind the front.

"It's a good thing you asked for a day, I'm going to have to arrange for quite a few things from the Sprites and Uncle Tak, " she moved over to the closet, pulling out the bag she usually carried overnight items in. "Though if the Sprites manage the heavy work, I'm sure Uncle T will be fine. How long will we be gone?"

It still wasn't clicking, he was too stunned from the abruptness of the announcement. Claire let out a long sigh, and pulled him over to sit with her on the bed, closing the door in the process. If the kids needed either one of them, they would knock.

"Honey," her voice caught his attention, it was that soft voice she used when she was scared and didn't want to admit it. "I trust you to want to come back… but I don't trust them to _let_ you."

"So," he raised an eyebrow. "You're going to follow me to make sure I come home?"

"Idiot," she snapped, reaching out and lightly thumping him in the jaw. "I'm following you because I _love_ you, and I don't want to lose you to _them_. Now, how long will we be gone?"

He closed his eyes, leaned forward to rest his head against her shoulder.

"I don't know," he answered quietly. "Less than a year if I can make them rush the acceptance."

Skye didn't want to rule, not while he had Claire, his children… This had bad timing written all over it. If he were to be totally honest, his time on the earth had changed him in ways that sometimes not even _he_ understood. But he knew with an abruptness that was almost stunning that he didn't want to rule.

Not now. Not ever.

"I'll leave a message with Uncle Tak," she mused softly, "for Pony, Muffy and everyone. They'll worry if we all just vanish into thin air."

"…all?"

Claire gave him a look that was familiar, a mix of exasperation and amusement.

"While nominally speaking I could leave Jamie and Lauren in charge of the farm, it would be bad form to leave two grandchildren down here and take everyone else up, don't you agree?"

Her tone was so sweet that he actually winced.

"Besides which, I don't want to leave two of my kids down here _alone_ for goodness knows how many months. Any objections?"

"Anything I can protest _to_?" Skye chuckled a touch weakly.

"Not really," and the frankness of the reply comforted him. "Not unless you want to sleep on the couch." And the amused smile became teasing, "What a sight _that_ would be, a first-born Prince being tossed onto the couch by his wife!"

Skye had to chuckle, and the smile brightened. She still looked pale and wan, with the dark circles under her eyes, but in that moment Claire had never been more… beautiful.

"Perhaps the packing can… wait?" he suggested delicately, sea-green eyes glittering with something that _wasn't_ idle warmth.

Claire's chuckle was soft.

"Pervert," she teased, lightly cupping one cheek.

He leaned up slightly, bridging the distance between them and the need for words passed.

* * *

"The _moon?!_" four voices yelped.

Claire winced, and rubbed one ringing ear. Skye, leaning against the table, nodded.

"They won't naysay me," he smirked a little. "I'm supposed to be their king. At least temporarily."

"We're coming back though, right Dad?" Jamie's silver brows drew together in worried frown.

"If we're lucky, we'll be back in six months," Skye nodded slightly. "Nominally speaking, we won't be allowed to pass many messages between the realms, so you have today to say your goodbyes, and to pack whatever you think is necessary for the extended stay."

"But… what about clothing?" Lauren blinked her sea-green eyes, trying to keep up. "And all the stuff we have to do _here?!_"

"After we're done here, I'm going to talk with the Harvest Sprites," Claire said calmly. "I'll leave everything with Uncle Tak so he can pay them in flour and all that, and I _know_ he can handle the cats and dogs. However, Jamie, Laurie, if you wish to stay, I won't tell you no. You're _more_ than old and competent enough to start looking after the farm on your own."

The older twins exchanged thoughtful looks. That was a _high_ compliment that Claire had just given them, but…

"We're coming," Lauren stated. "I want to meet Grandma too, darn it!"

Jamie just nodded, and Claire chuckled warmly.

"It's settled then. Go say your farewells and then get back here and pack," Skye nodded. "And if someone up there offers you a white robe with a silver belt, do _not_ put it on."

Looks were exchanged all around and four heads nodded dutifully. Meredith blinked her mismatched eyes in confusion, tilting her head.

"Why not Daddy?"

"Because those robes will take away your ability to be _you_ kitten," Claire replied gently. "And we're not going to have clone children, not if I have my say in it."

Which she probably would… Bringing Claire to court ought to prove interesting at least, Skye mused, one arm sliding around his wife's shoulders. She would definitely shake things up, just b being herself.

After another few minutes, the children filtered out the door, all save Meri who reached up to her mother for a hug.

"Love you Mommy, love you Daddy!" she proclaimed as Claire picked her up and hugged her gently.

"We love you too," Skye replied fondly, encircling them both with his arms. "Very, very much."

A sunny smile was their reward, and Claire passed her over to Skye.

"I need to head to the Sprites, and then I'm going to call Jill… you?"

"Pack," Skye sighed. "Though I find myself wishing that this was all some bad joke or horrible nightmare."

Claire leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"_I promise now, unto the world, to never leave your side,_" she whispered.

"_To share your joy, your pain, and tears, until the day I die,_" he finished.

His eyes were suspiciously bright, but the smile he gave was soft and warm. She smiled fondly back, tucked herself close to him briefly.

"I meant it. I'm not going to let weird dreams and strange happenings separate us, and I'm _not_ going to give them a choice when to come to bringing you home."

"I hear you," Skye's voice was only slightly choked, making Meri wrap her arms around him as best she could, "I hear you."

"Good," and Claire gave him a cheeky smile. "After all, the couch isn't very comfortable, is it?"

He snickered, and she left, winking one bright blue eye at him. Meredith blinked, looking from her departing mother to her smiling father, and decided that it was a mommy and daddy thing.

* * *

Everyone had scattered to different areas of the Valley to say their awkward and slightly unnerving farewells.

Melissa surprised Lauren by being demonstrative and flinging her arms around the golden haired girl. Then she pushed a set of panpipes into Lauren's hands and hurried away before her friend could see her cry.

Sharron insisted on giving Jamie her favorite necklace, a filigree flower in gold and pearl. He couldn't say no, not when she gave him the look of the pitiful—otherwise known as the kicked puppy look—and stuck it in his pocket.

Alan ran to Jasper, his best exploring buddy. The explanation was a little confusing to the near-eight-year-old son of Flora and Carter, but after a minute he understood that his friend was not going to be back for a few months. What Jasper handed over was nothing less than a—slightly used—state of the art camera, and he made Alan _swear_ to take lots of pictures for his dad.

Mirei went to Elizabeth, and actually cried with her a little best friend. Of all of them, she was the most reluctant to leave, even knowing that she would be coming back. Elizabeth took a long time to pick just the right 'temporarily gone' present, and in the end gave Mirei a locket that had a picture of the younger girls of the Valley in it, all of whom were Mirei's friends.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of time for farewells, but new traveled quickly in the Valley, and people started stopping by the farm to inquire as to the reason. Skye had to admit that he disliked telling these people a half-truth—his father had passed away abruptly and his family needed him—but they wouldn't understand the full truth. Only Muffy and Griffin got the real story, straight from Claire who passed them on her way back from negotiating with the Sprites.

Well, and Jill, who nearly shrieked Claire's ear off when she was informed.

"Thanks baby sis, I'm deaf now," Claire complained lightly, switching ears.

"You're going to the _Moon?_" Jill demanded. "For at _least_ six _months?!_ Who's going to look after the farm?"

"I hired the Harvest Sprite teams," Claire shrugged one shoulder knowing her tone would get across. "And I'm leaving all the money with Uncle Tak so that he can continue to pay for their help."

"You're _sure_ you're coming back?"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence squirt," Claire bit back the bitterness, leaving only the barest hint of dryness to her voice. "Really appreciate it."

"Claire, I.."

"Relax," and this time there was a gentle humor. "I'm coming back, and I'm going to bring everyone with me. _Including_ my husband, mkay? But I can't contact you while I'm up…wherever this is, so I figured instead of going cold turkey on you I'd let you know so that you don't inadvertently draw the wrong conclusion."

There was a short pause, and the sound of faint, muffled laughter. Gray was apparently listening in, or Jill's face had turned sulky.

"Get some rest sis, I'll call you when we come home."

"You be careful!" Jill demanded. "And call _Jack_ too, otherwise I might end up in the doghouse!"

Laughing, Claire bid her sister a good afternoon, then obediently called her older brother. He was about as thrilled as Jill was—less, actually—and after a minute of chatting, asked to talk to Skye.

The lecture could be heard from the _couch_, and Claire was having a _very_ hard time keeping a straight face as her overprotective brother chewed her husband out, not letting the silver-haired man get a word in edgewise.

Eventually Eve took over and Claire got the phone back, laughing as Skye rubbed his ear. Eve took it better than Jack, who had stalked out of the house to vent his anger on some trees, and promised to pass on the sisterly love, and laughter.

Claire hung up with a click that seemed almost final. It scared her on one level, and yet on another… it thrilled her. The pushing feeling was gone… _this_ was what she had been waiting for. She turned to her husband in the quiet house, and reached out to him, offering everything that she was in that one moment.

He took it, holding her tightly. He was afraid as well, afraid for her and his children, but selfish desire made him weak, accepting of the idea of their company.

"How fancy should we be?" she asked softly, once he'd pulled back just slightly.

"Not at all," was the prompt response. "You owe no alliance to the Queen of the Serenity and Tranquility Palaces. Just be you my love…"

The words _I'll need it_ went unspoken between them, and Claire nodded her head slightly.

"Come on, you distracted me earlier, but now we really _should_ pack if we're going to leave tonight."

Skye made a playful growl and she laughed, lightly thumping him in the shoulder.

"Noooo. Packing first, playing later. Then I need to talk to Uncle Tak."

It was a sobering comment, making Skye wince a little. The old man wasn't exactly fond of the thief-turned-farmer, but this would blow all sorts of trouble their way.

"I owe him the truth," she said softly. "We may not be blood, but we're _family_."

He sighed slightly, then nodded. Not five minutes later, two sets of twins returned, each mulling over their own thoughts, and then the packing began in earnest.

* * *

_I've managed to grab me a few minutes of peace. The talk with Uncle T didn't go very well, but he understands why I'm doing this, which is something of a relief. As long as he stays healthy and hale, the farm will be fine._

_I hope._


	18. July 10, Summer, Year 36

**July 10, Summer, year 36**

_I never thought I could be so nervous as I am now… We have to wait for a designated time before we can teleport to the Palace… I think Skye said we're going to Tranquility Palace, since that's where his mother rules._

_At least, she rules until he comes to claim the throne. I wonder how she's going to react when he tells her he doesn't want it. Hmph, she'll probably blame me and mine or something like that._

* * *

Claire was doing her best not to pace, but the waiting was driving her _batty_. Thy had spent most of the night awake, waiting for people to leave the Goddess Pond to its solitude, and then had waited an hour more. Mirei, Alan and Meredith had all dropped off in that time, exhaustion being stronger than curiosity.

Skye, and Jamie watched her, braid flipping from one side to the other as she turned. Lauren was dealing with her own anxiety by drawing several quick sketches in rapid succession. All of them were of Melissa, and the panpipes were tucked into the pocket of the teenage girls cargo jeans.

They all felt the electric spark suddenly added to the air, and as one spun to face the pond. The female messenger of the night before tendered Skye a bow, deep and elegant.

Then she saw the rest, and a faint look of puzzlement crept across her beautiful face.

"Prince Sora?"

Jamie and Lauren snorted their mirth, Skye ignored the title.

"I could not travel without my lady wife," and now _Claire_ snorted, "and my children."

The messenger's gray eyes went wide for a brief second, and she hurriedly gave Claire a bow almost as deep as the one she'd given Skye. Claire flushed a little, not having expected something like that.

"Your Honored Mother awaits you at the Court of Tranquility," the messenger said. "I shall inform her of your coming."

She vanished then, but the feeling remained, and a disc of white light hovered over the Goddess Pond. Claire picked up Meredith, Skye took Alan, and Jamie carried Mirei. This left Lauren with the magic-backpacks which could hold anything—gifts from the Witch Princess—and her own bag of things.

"Last chance.."

Claire mimed a kick in Skye's direction, and took a step forward, heart in her throat.

Her foot cam down on solid marble, but it felt as though she had been coated in static electricity. Pieces of her blonde hair—and Meri's—stood on end. Lauren, Jamie and Skye followed quickly after, and with the portal's collapse, hair and clothing returned to normal.

"That… felt weird," and Jamie shivered.

"Un. Der. State. Ment." Lauren's tone was pure acid. "Could've used a warning…"

Odd sensation no longer present, Claire glanced around, and couldn't prevent a low whistle of awe. It might have been on the Moon… but this certainly didn't look anything like the round disc of silver that often hung in the sky at night.

The sweet scent of flowers filled the air, from where Claire wasn't certain. The room they had exited into was actually a small pavilion of silver-veined marble, draped with pastel blue and purple gauzes.

It was situated in the center of what could charitably be called a small lake, pure blue water a reflection of the pale blue sky overhead. Water lilies were not the _source_ of the flower smell, but they were certainly the most obviously prevalent.

Slowly the farmer turned in a circle, hugging her youngest to her chest in awe. Jamie and Lauren were doing much the same… until they caught sight of the armor clad guards who were glaring at them in suspicion. Claire took an instant notice of the white robe and silver sash that Skye had mentioned, and forbore making any of her usual comments.

Skye glared right back. The spears immediately lifted, and the guards went down on one knee, supplication to their new king—or so they thought. Reluctantly, Skye passed Alan off to Lauren—Claire and Jamie took the extra backpacks—before stepping forward.

"We wish to refresh ourselves, please inform my Honored Mother that we will be slightly delayed."

"Of course Heir-Apparent."

Claire stifled yet another snort of amusement at the pained expression crossing Skye's face, who dismissed them all with a wave of his hand.

"Are you alright?" she murmured when he didn't move.

"Is it possible to be homesick already?" Skye's voice was shaking slightly.

"Always."

"Good," and the silver haired man let out a long breath. "I can't _wait_ to leave."

* * *

After a couple of false turns, Skye led them to the place that had been his quarters. They'd been given a day—a day and a half really—to fix it up, so he wasn't expecting perfection… he rather hoped it _would_ be imperfect, all of the impeccableness was getting to more than just him.

"There's only so much beauty a human mind can take," Claire muttered as he tapped once on his door to ensure that no one was in the chambers. "And this place pushes _all_ the limits."

The floor was a misty gray and white marble, shined to an almost mirror-like finish, the wood of the doors was a pale, pure gold, carved with symbols that she couldn't read and never wanted to, the doorknobs _themselves_ looked to be made of genuine gold, and there were thousands of rainbows cascading along the floor, reflections from diamond-paned windows.

The door swung open easily when Skye pushed on it, and he frowned to see the people—servants—lingering. Not to mention the fact that the minute they all saw him, they dropped into immediate bows and deep curtseys, all eyes heading towards the floor.

At least until Claire and her children showed themselves. Then eyes flicked to one another in shock and curiosity.

"A bath will wake us up?" Claire sounded doubtful. "Usually they just put me right to sleep."

"Don't worry," and to the horror of the watching servants, Skye leaned over and kissed Claire on the forehead. "These have a special herbal extract that could probably wake the dead if we tried. It'll get you through the first meeting with my mother."

He raised an eyebrow at the lingering servants and they fled quickly, leaving bathing things, and towels.

"You scared them," Lauren said, blinking. "Wow.."

Claire sneezed, and shortly after that the three younger children were also awake. Not _happily_, but they were awake. No one actually _used_ the bath, but splashing the water across the face left a tingling feeling of clean and a sudden clarity to the mind.

"Pretty soon you'll probably have seamstresses all over you," Skye smiled ruefully at the expression on his wife's face. "Trying to remake you in the ways of Tranquility."

Claire and Lauren exchanged amused looks. Neither of them were very tranquil, with quick tempers and sharp wits to match.

"Somehow Dad," and it was Lauren who spoke what everyone was thinking, "I'd say that would be impossible."

Snickering followed the comment, and Sky found himself smiling warmly. This was the family that he and Claire had made together… he wasn't going to leave that behind for all the money in the world.

"Everyone feeling better?"

"Awake," Mirei huffed slightly, hands going to her hips. "But we're _supposed_ to be sleeping."

"This is Late-Court Mirei," Skye nodded. "Soon enough we will be."

A sharp knock at the door was the only warning they received, and the family almost automatically bunched together, Meredith jumping—almost literally with the lighter gravity—into her mother's arms, Jamie and Lauren stepping up next to Alan and Mirei, and Claire and Skye drawing closer together.

The door opened after a minute and the female messenger poked her head in as if expecting to see something she was forbidden. That is, very cautiously. When she saw the seven pairs of blue and green eyes upon her, she straightened and beckoned.

"Her Royal Majesty bids you come to Late-Court, Prince Sora, and has expressed a wish to meet your… lady wife, and children."

"We will be on our way," Skye nodded.

The door closed with a faint click, and Claire snorted.

"As if I'm going to let you go anywhere without me," she huffed, propping her free arm on one hip.

"At least this way you have a tactic invitation," Skye chuckled. "Queen Tsukiko is very clever."

It was a little much to hope for his mother's approval, Skye knew. But at least she was acknowledging that he _had_ chosen to wed. It was, in its own fashion, better than he had hoped.

* * *

The hallways went from misty gray marble to misty blue as they approached the place where Late-Court was being held. They went at their own pace as well, occasionally stopping so that Claire or one of the children could gape at some new wonder. A bird made of only gold and gems, that sang when you turned the key, a silver flute that played without being touched, a gem that cast moving pictures across the floor…

"You _left_ this place?" Claire murmured softly.

"Earth is just as beautiful… and much more _real_," Sky smiled faintly. "I'm preferring the reality, even if it has its downsides."

The doors were open and heads of silver hair bobbed and murmured to each other. They were dressed in layer upon layer of mist-like gauze, over the white robes and silver sashes.

"Mommy," Meredith whimpered a little. "They all look like ghosties.."

Claire darted a quick, sour look at her children. Jamie, Lauren and Mirei immediately pointed to Alan, who at least had the grace to look ashamed.

"Why was I plagued with such children?" she sighed softly, not meaning a word of it. "I guess it's time?"

Skye reached out, and touched the gold chain around her neck. It took the sleep-deprived woman a moment to realize exactly what it was he wanted, and the actual action meant releasing Meredith.

But she did, setting the child down at her feet. She promptly clung to her mother's pant leg as Claire free the necklace from under her shirt revealing the diamond pendant he'd given her, and undoing the clasp only long enough to retrieve the ring that matched.

Both diamonds glowed with an inner fire all their own, a captured piece of sunlight—or so Skye had told her. More than anything, this was who she was at the heart of all things, and the light the two.. no, _three_ tiny stones cast—for Skye had revealed his pendant as well—caused a ripple of silence to spread outwards from the entrance.

Claire, determined to be unintimidated, paused only briefly to undo her long hair. The gold waves made even more of a stir, none of the _true_ People of the Moon had such a brilliantly garish color. Of the children, only Jamie was looked upon with approval, and did his best to hide between his mother and his sister. The approval was more unnerving than the disapproval.

At the far end of the hall was a small dais, upon which sat a regal looking woman in a long white and blue trimmed dress. A crown of delicate silver and sapphire pinned back her seemingly unruly silver hair and as sky blue eyes met cool gray, Claire knew without a doubt that this chill woman was the 'Honored Mother' Queen Tsukiko.

Skye went down on one knee at the foot of the dais, but Claire remained upright. Silence changed to whispers, shock and whatever the Moon People's version of robed annoyance was rippled through the crowd at Claire's clear defiance. Unseen, Skye smiled.

Jamie and Lauren exchanged looks then bowed, but only temporarily. Mirei attempted a curtsey, as did Meri, though she ended up sitting on the floor next to her father when she slipped. Alan just.. started, like Claire, but his was a curious look, not a mildly hostile one.

"Why do you not show us respect?"

Queen Tsukiko's voice was, Claire mused, a bit like what the poetic phrase 'bell-like sound' was crafted for. It was not loud, but somehow conveyed everything the woman wanted to and did _not_ say.

"Because I don't owe you any part of me," she informed Tsukiko calmly, "and respect must be earned, not expected."

More whispers, a touch of anger this time. Claire heard the faintest clank of metal, the guards stationed around the hall taking offense at her words.

But she was solid, unmoving, and because she was, so were her children. They trusted her to know what she was doing.

She _didn't_ but making things up as she went along usually served quite well in knowledge's stead. At least it did when it didn't backfire horribly.

One pale hand raised, the guards settled back into their posts.

"You are mortal."

Claire didn't even deign to answer that one, but her hands slid into her pockets, a sure sign that she was settling in for a long debate of some form.

"What right has someone of your rank to be wed to our son?"

The faintest of amused smiles flickered across the blonde's face. _This_ she had expected.

"Let's see… Jill threatened him?" she offered, humor lacing her voice.

Skye had to work to keep from snorting in laughter. The Queen was not amused.

"We are the one that will designate our son's wife. One such as yourself is not worthy of note. Not even as a dress servant."

Claire twitched as ripples of faint amusement this time spread through the crowd. 'Servant' was pushing things a little too far.

"Unfortunately for you, Madam, Skye controls himself. And from what I've seen, he chose _me_, not that lady you sent to try and ruin everything fifteen years ago," she made an expansive gesture with her left hand, making the diamond flare slightly, taking in the whole of her family. "Or had you not noticed your own grandchildren?"

Absolute. Silence. Claire was pleased to see that this had shocked the whole of the court, and a tiny little smirk crossed her face.

"Why must you plague us so, little mortal?"

"Because I'm right," Claire said ever so sweetly. "And because I don't give a fig about these fancy courts. There's one reason and _one_ _alone_ that I'm standing her and it's certainly not because I want to become enamored of you."

She heard Lauren mutter something that ended with 'clones,' and grinned. Though he had not been given permission to do so, Skye rose, reached out and took Claire's hand.

_These_ whispers were the ones Claire had been waiting for. The kind of absolutely scandalized _shock_ that would send ripples everywhere.

"Why then are you here little mortal?"

"Firstly," and Claire propped her free hand on her hip, "my name is _Claire_, it's not been a pleasure…" Lauren started to snicker, and Jamie pulled up the collar of his jacket to hid his grin, "and secondly, I'm here to make sure that my husband comes _home_."

One perfect silver eyebrow raised.

"You do not trust our word?"

"Not with my life, his life, or the lives of my children," she replied bluntly, shocking the assembled PoM back into silence. "See, I _know_ some things that normal mortal women don't, I _know_ about those special robes you're all wearing. Given half the chance you would stuff him into one and I would _never_ see him again. And I don't intend to risk such a thing."

"_Child_," and the word was a threat, a mild as it was. "What right has a little mortal babe to dictate how we handle our son?"

Claire looked to Skye, who smiled down at her warmly, and released her hand. Following that was one of Claire's biggest risks ever.

She set a foot on the lowest stair of the dais and climbed the shallow steps. There was the sound of several little clicks, crossbows being aimed at the bold mortal who dared to approach their Queen.

"You don't seem to be understanding this, _madam_," and Claire's voice was heavily laced with the bite of sarcasm. "So I'll say it simply. I traded vows with him. I bore his children. I _love him_. That gives me more right to accompany him than any one of your fine lords and ladies. _Do not_ dismiss me because of your ridiculous pre-conceived notions of what a human is like."

Burning blue met ice cold gray, and held.

"You are a mortal," Tsukiko's voice didn't tremor, as though this was some fashion of a game. "And yet you threaten me in my court?"

"Who's making threats?" Claire smiled dangerously. "I'm making _promises_. _Don't_ try me…"

* * *

They had left the Late-Court on that sobering note, making their way back to the rooms Skye held. Alan and Mirei were in awe of their mother. So many eyes, so close to danger and she hadn't given an _inch_ to the woman who was supposed to be their grandmother.

Skye was bursting with an almost ridiculous amount of pride. Claire had been just what he'd hoped, and had likely unnerved more than one of the People there because of her intensity.

Jamie and Lauren were grinning. Sure they never wanted to be on the receiving end of that tone, but when given to someone else it was a _treat_ to watch.

Wisely, everyone held in their commentary until the door had closed behind them, and Skye had locked it from the inside.

Then everyone began to speak at once.

"Mom, that was freaking _awesome!_"

"Can't believe you were that _crazy…_"

"So many pointy arrows…"

"And tall guards!"

"That was _wonderful_ love! ..Claire?"

Claire made her way over to the insanely large bed, and flopped face down onto it, hair spreading out like a curtain down her back.

"I can't. Believe. I did that."

He voice was muffled by the blankets, which absorbed most of the emotions filtering into her words. A small blessing, she didn't need them to know how terrified she'd been, how badly she needed to curl up in a ball and shake.

Only the determination to be strong for her children was keeping her self control intact.

"I don't think _any_ of us can Ma," Jamie jumped up on the bed beside her, grinning in exhilaration.

"If you want the truth Mom, that was kinda scary," Lauren admitted, reaching out to collect the strands of blond hair. "I mean, it could have gotten you _killed!_"

"Tell me something I don't know," Claire sighed into the blankets.

"You certainly made an impression," and Skye chuckled. "I think you may have scandalized the whole of the court just by out children alone."

He wasn't in range to kick, otherwise he would have been. Even a backwards kick was still a kick.

Hearing the sound of a door opening, Claire lifted her head slightly and saw that Skye was across the room.

"Mmm, if there's one thing that I have to admit to liking it's that they work fast to adapt to plan shifts," he moved aside, indicating the open door. "I believe the children are supposed to sleep here…"

The farmer pushed herself wearily off the bed, curiosity stronger than exhaustion. Still burbling with their praise—all but Meredith who had once again fallen asleep, on the way back—the children followed, and the room they saw cut off all speech entirely.

It was a large room, five beds sanctioned off by cloth hangings at the far end.

"This used to be my library," Skye nodded. "Or rather my 'junk room,' since I rarely perused anything I left in here once it was in. It should double nicely as a playroom-slash-bedroom, don't you think?"

Claire bit her tongue to keep her words from slipping out, prompting Skye to give her a gentle, genuine kiss to the forehead.

"I know," he murmured as the two sets of twins cautiously wandered into the room. "I want to be home too, in our bed that creaks a little no matter how many times we fix it."

Lauren laid Meredith down on the middle bed.

"It should be oldest to the outside," she decided, noticing that her parents were once again off in their own world. "Cause this place give me the creeps and I wouldn't put it past anyone to try kidnapping in this place. Even if Dad's supposed to be their next king, I think they're all a bit creepy. Did you se the _looks_ they gave us?"

"Kinda hard not to, especially when you're the only one being approved of," Jamie retorted dryly. "Man I don't _want_ to know what they were thinking."

"If you're lucky you won't have to find out," Skye rejoined the conversation. "I hope to the Harvest Goddess that I can expedite the abdication process, _I_ certainly don't want to stay here any longer than I have to."

"Not even for all the pretty things?" Mirei yawned, blue eyes fogging over with tiredness.

"I have my pretty things with me," he said then, lifting her effortlessly into the bed next to Meredith's. "Only I choose to call them my family."

* * *

He dimmed the light in the room until it was that of a pale moonlit night, before closing the door and letting the children situate themselves. Their bags were at the feet of the bed, ready to be grabbed at a moment's notice.

Then he turned to Claire, and held out one hand. She took the invitation and clung to him. She wasn't crying, but she trembled like a leaf in a gale.

"My brave, brave love," he murmured. "Thank you for doing all that."

It took her several seconds to keep from stuttering, but the determination was clear.

"Not going to lose you," she shivered, "not to _that_ lot…"

"No, no you won't," and he pulled her towards the bed, even disliking it as much as he did. "It's alright now Claire… sleep."

Blue eyes flicked up to sea-green, then down again as she found the strength within herself to calm back down, to be okay. Not for herself, but for the ones who needed her to be strong. She even managed a wry smile as she kicked off her boots.

"You _owe_ me…"

Skye gave her a lazy, warm smile.

"I'll pay you now then, shall I?"

It was a little while later before they finally, _truly_ fell asleep.


	19. July 11, Summer, Year 36

**July 11, Summer, year 36**

_It's a curse, I swear… No matter how late I go to sleep the previous night by body _insists_ on being awake as six in the morning… There's not even are _dawn_ here, but I know what bloody time it is._

_Errgg…. _

_At least I managed to fall back to sleep. A warm Skye and comforting heartbeat sound does tend to help with that… It was what happened after I woke up the _second_ time that was… weirdly unnerving._

* * *

Waking at six in the morning was not unusual to Claire. Even on very little sleep the routine was so ingrained that it was just another fact of life.

But waking properly usually was completely dependent on caffeine. So it wasn't too hard to see why she was utterly disoriented upon her first awakening.

The bed was far too soft, the blankets were too numerous for a summer day—and it felt too chill to be summer—and the sounds that filtered into her consciousness were _not_ those of her farm waking up.

Blearily, she blinked, disentangling herself from Skye long enough to glance around the room. Which she didn't recognize. Claire refused to panic, but it was a close thing.

It took another twenty minutes for her to remember that they were in Tranquility Palace, that she had come with her children to ensure that Skye would be allowed to abdicate his throne to… someone, she didn't know yet who.

Initially what it all meant was that she could have more sleep, and she took that with a grateful sigh, snuggling back up to her husband who was less than half awake himself.

When they woke the second time, it was to a polite series of tapping knocks. Claire buried her head under one of the fluffy pillows, willing the person on the other side of the locked door to go away. Skye knew better, and slid out of bed, grabbing a bathrobe—the blue one that Claire had made him—tying it closed before unlocking and opening the door the barest margin.

"Yes?"

"Your Honored Mother wishes your attendance for a family breakfast in thirty minutes time, Prince Sora," it was the same messenger from the night previous, looking weary and ready for her rest. "She extends this wish to the lady, and the children that accompany you, and requests that you dress accordingly."

"My thanks," and Skye gave the young woman a faint smile. "You should hurry to your rest, you look ready to collapse."

There was a short pause as the messenger attempted to decipher whether it was criticism or not. Claire could almost hear the confusion, and let out a faint sigh from the bed. Skye chuckled.

"I appreciate what you've done for me and my family," he informed the messenger, sea-green eyes glittering with humor. "You deserve a break."

"Ah!" and the messenger bowed, trying not to smile herself. "You are actually the last of my duties for the day, my thanks for your consideration. There is suitable clothing for the lady and the children in the wardrobes, and…" The messenger flicked a glance around the hall, lowering her voice. "Tell her that what she did last night was most impressive, and won her more respect than enmity."

"I will. Have a good rest."

Skye closed the door gently, rested his back against it, and began to snicker. Claire raised a blonde brow at him.

"Apparently the way you acted last night won you respect love," Skye teased. "Make a point of noticing who greets you once we are freed from the breakfast."

"Dress accordingly?" Claire brown went down, a frown crossing her face. "I assume that means dress nice…"

"Yes, yes it does. Let's see what they have for us, mm?"

She reluctantly climbed out of bed, twining a blanket around her bare body as Skye went over to the _large_ wardrobe—it literally took up half the wall on its own—and slid open one side.

To say it was filled with pastel… would have been both accurate, and an understatement. Claire looked at the pastel and gauze, then turned an unamused glance to her husband.

"I refuse to dress like a clone," she said flatly.

Skye agreed, tapping his chin in thought. There was no time to actually attempt to rustle up new clothes though, in the bright, dynamic hues that they both were fond of. Five minutes passed, then Claire snapped her fingers, grinning.

"Lauren!" she exclaimed.

"Lauren?" Skye blinked, puzzled.

"She can change the color of the clothing we choose," and Claire's smirk was pure mischief. "So it won't _matter_ what we're wearing, we can make the colors our own."

Skye thought about this, then chuckled, and ruffled Claire's already unkempt hair. She retaliated by ducking away from his hand and lightly smacked his shoulder.

"Behave you," she mock-huffed, running her fingers through her hair. "Mm, I should braid this up…"

"No, leave it loose," and he smiled at the confused expression on her face. "It makes you more impressive."

There was a short pause as Claire digested this.

"I'm not sure that was a compliment," and she laughed when Skye huffed. "but okay."

From her backpack, Claire produced an old brush that had been her Grandma April's—she had been Grandpa Max's wife—and split her hair into two parts, pulling them over the shoulder to work out the tangles.

"I should start braiding this at night," she muttered to herself not for the first time. "Or just cut it again…"

"Perish the thought," Skye shook a finger at her as he went through the clothes, trying to find something… not pastel. "I like seeing your hair."

"Yeah, you like _sleeping_ on it too."

"I do _not_ sleep on it," he snorted.

"Oh?" And Claire raised an eyebrow at him, lips curving in a teasing smile. "I beg to differ, and I'm the one it's attached to. So nyah."

And she stuck out her tongue. Skye stuck his out in response, and the farmer burst into giggles. Sixteen years, and they were still a pair of ridiculous goofballs when the mood took them.

Claire flipped the long blonde locks back over her shoulder, placing the brush on the nightstand next to the bed. If they were going to be here a while, it wouldn't hurt to leave things lying around to feel a little more… home-like, right? Then she joined Skye at the closet.

"Oh just grab something," she teased him, gently poking his ribs. "It won't matter, you know."

"Yes, yes," he chuckled. "Still…"

Claire shook her head, reached in and grabbed the first outfit that came to hand. The clothing itself was nice, pure silk and the finest of satins for the gauzy overcoat, but the colors…

She just shook her head and started pulling things on. The pants were a pale amber, the over-dress was sleeveless, split at the seam up to the hip to allow for freedom of movement, and descended almost to the hem of the pants. It was a pastel pink, not one of Claire's _favorite_ colors—she much preferred her pinks darker, much more vivid. And the translucent coat with it's tightly cuffed sleeves was silver-grey, descending to her knees. She tied a pale green belt around the dress, and inspected herself in the freestanding mirror next to the wardrobe with a frown.

"I feel like I should be walking out of some story-book fairy tale," she muttered a touch sourly. "Only my hair's the wrong shade for it…"

The bright gold of Claire's hair overpowered the paler colors, washing them out even more. Skye chuckled, leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Soon enough it will look fine," he smiled at her. "Though that is an interesting piece of information. I never knew Laurie could do that."

The farmer grinned despite herself.

"You've never paid that much attention to their clothes either," Claire replied. "I, on the other hand, _made_ most of them. I recall quite clearly which colors I used. So when new colors started showing up I got curious."

"You mean you got annoyed."

"…okay, fine yes."

Claire _had_ been annoyed. Not because the colors were different, but because she hadn't been able to figure out _how _they were_ changing!_ It had bothered her for several months until she'd finally caught Lauren at it.

The girl had been a little panicked, thinking her mother was upset with her, but Claire had only laughed and been quite relieved. Better to change the colors with magic than with dyes after all, especially considering Laurie had only been ten.

"And I guess it wasn't really relevant at the time, I mean she was only _just_ starting her lessons in magic," the blonde shook her head in amusement. "To be honest, once I figured it out, I filed it away and forgot about it unless I needed her help in the sewing room."

Skye adjusted the fall of his overcoat—he had been dressing while Claire had been speaking—and waved a finger at his wife in mock-reproof. She just gave him a wry grin, flicking a dark teal hair tie in his direction. He tied his hair back just as the door separating their room from the children's was knocked on.

"It's safe," they chorused, grinning at each other.

The door was promptly flung open and the PJ'd kids tumbled in. The stopped short upon seeing the clothes their parents were wearing, blinking.

"Raid the closet," and Skye slid the other half open for them. "We've been invited to have breakfast with my Mother and likely my siblings as well."

"But it's all… pastel," Lauren grimaced.

"So change it," Claire chuckled. "_Please_ change it."

The fifteen-year-old girl thought for a minute, then grinned at her mother. She didn't often admit it, but Laurie was very fond of her quirky ability, and used it as often as she could get away with it.

Skye stepped aside, motioning for Lauren to do what she did best, and the girl reached out, touching fabric. It was like a wave, Skye noted. The colors changed, darkening, or brightening their way out of pastel, running together in the oddest of combinations and even changing to another color all together.

It even affected what he and Claire were wearing, to his surprise and her abject relief.

For Claire, the amber pants shifted to a dark green. Pale pink darkened into magenta, silver darkened to a storm-grey hue. The tight cuffs and belt became a sharp, contrasting orange.

In Skye's case, the silver vanished from his pants, changing to a light brown. His overcoat became a brilliant shade of sapphire blue, and his tunic changed to mach the color of leaves in the summer, a bright vibrant green. His belt shifted to match the teal hair tie, which was the only thing that hadn't changed.

"Man," Jamie blinked, looking at the closet. "It's like someone went and threw buckets of dye in there!"

Laurie reached out and whacked her twin upside the head. He just grinned, letting her.

"I left some little-kid clothes pastel," she panted, wiping her forehead. "Cause Meri would look cute in it. But everything else is _much_ better now, don't you think?"

The closet was a mix of bright and dark colors, a rainbow all on its own, barely a pastel shade in sight. Claire applauded her daughter's handiwork, and Skye gave her an approving smile.

"Better hurry, we have only fifteen minutes until we have to leave for breakfast," the prince noted.

This prompted a quick grab of clothing—Claire pulled out some from the drawers for her youngest—and the girls retreated back to the former junk room to get dressed.

"We're going to be a walking rainbow," Jamie joked as the door closed.

* * *

It actually wasn't that far off for a description. Robes, high collars and gauzes abounded as they traversed the halls, Skye in the lead. The brilliant colors and confidence that the family exhumed—saying quite clearly that they would continue to flaunt customs because they were not _theirs_—attracted all kinds of attention from passing servants to patrolling guards.

Those without robes and sashes had a hard time keeping grins from their faces. The guards managed it by their many years of training but lesser servants found themselves having to stop their chores momentarily to have a good chuckle.

Jamie had to admit that he wasn't too fond of the attention. Since he was the only one in the family with the straight silver hair of his father, he was the one that everyone assumed was the best of the best. Occasionally his hand would come up to rub the bright orange overcoat in a nervous gesture, and he did his best to keep from meeting anyone's eyes.

Lauren was downright pleased with her handiwork, even if she wasn't too fond of the clothes themselves. She would much rather have been in her favorite jeans and jacket instead of this fancy get-up.

Alan was actually rather sulky. Sure the clothes were cool, but they were _fancy_ clothes. Fancy clothes were hard to play in, and tended to tear when one least expected it. And he just didn't like them in general, if something got torn it would be worse here because the clothes weren't _his_.

Mirei was ecstatic. She _loved_ playing fancy dress-up. To her, this was nothing more than a game, a chance to pretend that she was royalty too. She was practically skipping through the halls, swirling the bright clothes around her gleefully.

Meri… was uncertain. They were not her usual clothes, and she didn't want anything to happen to them. Ruining borrowed clothing was Bad, and because of this she had begged Claire to carry her.

Claire and Skye, by mutual agreement, were ignoring the onlookers, hands intertwined. Claire was actually looking forward to another chance to talk with Queen Tsukiko, outside of her court. She doubted that there would be less condensation—she _was_ only mortal after all, and she expected it—but there was still a slight chance of maybe making her acknowledge Skye's choice.

The door they arrived at was of the same pale golden wood as the rest of the doors in Tranquility Palace, carved with vines and fruits in almost lifelike detail. Skye knocked once, then pushed the door open without waiting for an answer.

As they walked in, nine pairs of eyes locked onto them. Mirei quietly closed the door behind them, and silence fell.

There was a pained look on Tsukiko's face as she looked at Skye.

"Sora, what are you _wearing_?" she sighed.

"Color," he replied blandly. "Courtesy of my eldest daughter Lauren."

Laurie gave a faint wave, flushing a little under the sudden scrutiny.

"At least the magic is strong," the queen murmured, flicking a faintly annoyed glance at Claire. "I guess some mortals do have the capability of standing aside for their betters."

Claire gave her a sweet, sharp smile, and said nothing. Tsukiko raised a silver eyebrow, as though surprised.

"Nothing to say little mortal? Was your defiance last night nothing more than a fool's gamble to win admiration of the court?"

"Until my name is used, I see no reason to give you a response," was the sharp reply. "Courtesy for courtesy Madam."

There was a burst of giggles, quickly muffled, from the youngest silver-haired female in the room. Skye had to stifle a grin of his own, but his eyes glittered with suppressed amusement.

"Mortals are so ponderous," the queen sighed. "You insist on attempting to take me on in my court, but will not give me that same sharp tongue in privacy? What a weak soul…"

"I have nothing worth saying," Claire shrugged lightly, "to someone who believes that she is always correct."

"Child, consider yourself warned," Tsukiko's grey eyes narrowed just slightly. "You are not wedded to my son unless I say, and you are not building up my goodwill."

The biting smile was back, as Claire shifted Meredith from one arm to the other.

"It will be a sad day in the hells when I require your regard," she informed the queen. Several pairs of eyes widened in shock. "My husband has chosen, and that is all that I require. Your word? Un. Im. Por. Tant."

Shock reigned the room for several minutes.

"Well, I suppose I should expect that from a woman with no class," the Queen sniffed. "These children are tainted as well, from being of her blood. Sora, I really must insist…"

Before Claire could say anything, Meri said it first.

"Don't you talk bad about Mommy!" the child demanded from Claire's arms. "She's _lots_ nicer than you are!"

"Yeah," Alan piped up. "I thought Grandma's were supposed to be _friendly!_"

"Apparently not," Jamie snorted, "considering how she's treating us."

"_Tainted?!_" Lauren fumed. "Cripes lady, we at least know enough to have _fun!_ This place is such a downer, I'll be surprised if you even have any _festivals!_"

"You're just mad that Momma keeps getting the upper hand," Mirei chimed in, propping her hands on her hips.

Again, silence, this time radiating of Tsukiko's disapproval. On this, the Queen would not budge, Skye knew, regardless of the proof pushed into her face. Even without her robes on—which Claire had noticed that no one in the room was wearing—the Queen was a stubborn woman.

"As amusing as this all is," drawled one of the young men in the room, drawing the attention of his mother. "I would like to get the chance to meet such a formidable lady.."

Reluctantly the Queen backed down, retreating to a throne-like chair in the center of the room, next to a low table filled with food. Skye let out a faint sigh of relief, and turned to the young man that had once been his youngest brother Kaemon.

Kaemon gave Skye the faintest of sympathetic smiles, lifting his cane slightly. Claire noticed that his right arm was missing from the elbow down, and couldn't quite prevent herself from staring. This was interrupted by a black and gold blur flinging herself at Skye in a formidable hug.

"Eldest brother! How good of you to return home!"

Skye laughed, patting the young woman gingerly on the head as she released him. Claire had to admit, she was impressed with her looks. Silver hair hung to her waist in curly ringlets, framing a delicate, heart-shaped face, and dark grey eyes. She hadn't expected the black either, which this Princess wore from top to toe. Well, almost; white boots peeped out from under the black skirt.

Gold trimmed the long black jacket over a silver-specked black dress, and Claire mentally raised her eyebrows as she attempted to figure how much it would cost to make such an outfit. Skye's voice pulled her back to the present.

"Yukiko, you're prettier than ever," he complimented. "Pulled any jokes lately?"

Princess Yukiko released him, and winked one grey eye lightly, then turned and offered a friendly smile to Claire, who was clearly taken aback.

"Forgive my Mother, she is very set in her ways. My name is Yukiko, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Claire blinked a couple more times, then slowly grinned. _This_ was much better.

"I'm Claire. This little one is Meredith, or Meri for short," Meri started at Yukiko, then hid her face in her mother's shoulder, prompting laughter from all assembled. "These two are Alan and Mirei," the younger twins waved, Mirei grinning widely. "And my older pair are Lauren and James."

"Jamie," he corrected instantly, "preferably."

"It is lovely to meet all of you," Yukiko curtsied. "Please, come join us."

Claire flicked a glance at Skye, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. As one, they moved over to the rest of the assembled PoM, Meri occasionally peeking up from Claire's shoulder undeniably shy.

There weren't any chairs, but there was a plethora of comfortable cushions, and one couch, which Kaemon occupied. Not that Claire could blame him, she had a feeling that the cane was anything _but_ ornamental.

"You found yourself quite a spitfire, Eldest Brother" Kaemon said, smiling warmly. "I did not think there was any who could equal out Lady Mother in her moods, but apparently I never thought to look upon the Earth."

Claire blushed a little bit, and rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. Skye chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Claire that is my brother Kaemon. He is usually in residence at the Rain Palace with his lady wife and daughter," and here Skye smiled in amusement at his brother, "who I hear is quite the lady as well."

Kaemon chuckled.

"Forgive me for not rising Lady Claire," and Kaemon's blue eyes darkened slightly. "However I was badly injured many years ago, and I cannot stand for a long period of time."

"Don't worry about it," she said quickly. "And really, just Claire is fine. As your mother said, I don't have class."

"Married to our brother you do," another young man nodded slightly purple eyes flashing with humor, and a tiny hint of jealousy. "It makes you a Princess in your own right."

"That's Daisuke," Skye nodded at him. "The one I intend to nominate to the council tomorrow."

There was a brief pause, and several eyes widened.

"_Nominate?_"

Claire rubbed her ringing ears, wincing slightly. Skye did as well, then grinned faintly.

"I have my life down on Earth," he informed the room at large. "I like it down there. I intend to abdicate and give the throne to you Dai."

"But… why?" this came from a young man with dark green eyes. He was dressed in a militarial fashion with close fitting close, and there was a glitter of chain-mail that had not been used in a fight. "There is so much unrest, and the people were expecting their long-lost Prince…"

"Because there is something more important than the throne Akio," Skye interrupted. "Something, and several some_ones_ that I will not abandon."

Claire couldn't keep from smiling warmly, a faintly pleased blush crossing her face. Jamie and Lauren just grinned, Alan and Mirei shared confused looks, then shrugged. It was Dad, who could figure him out some days.

"In truth, I'm only here until the council accepts the decision," and now Skye grimaced. "Are they still ponderously slow?"

"They're the council," Daisuke shrugged. "I don't think they know the meaning of 'decide quickly.' Even for us."

"As well they should not," Tsukiko interjected, frowning at them. "Many decisions would be made in foolish haste, ones which we cannot afford."

There was an underlying tone to her words, of severe disapproval. Skye abdicating had clearly not been what she had expected, even after the words Claire had spoken in the throne room.

"As you say," and Daisuke bowed to his mother in respect.

"At minimum they will take six month to decide," another male grumbled, sea-green eyes—similar enough to Skye's that Claire blinked—flicking across the room to the group then away. "And til then you have to at least _act_ the part Eldest Brother."

"Toshihiro," Yukiko scolded. "Sora knows his duties!"

Skye cleared his throat, but Toshihiro simply huffed in annoyance, turning away and folding his arms sulkily.

"Toshi resents the fact that Sora was given permission to leave," and Claire jumped as a brown clad Princess stepped away from the bookshelf. "He harbors a great deal of resentment against our Eldest Brother."

Somehow, the blonde found herself situated on the floor between Kaemon's couch and the amber-eyed, brown clad Princess, without quite knowing when she had moved over, or sat down on the plump purple cushion.

It was clear however, that the words had been meant for the blonde alone, said so quietly that only Kaemon, who was next closest, could hear them.

"Not all of us bear him resentment," the crippled Prince murmured, taking care to keep out of the argument brewing between Toshihiro, Daisuke, Skye and Yukiko. "But Daisuke and Toshihiro… yes, they hold a bit of animosity. Also, allow me to introduce Hotaru, my elder sister."

Hotaru nodded to Claire, and gave her a tiny, shy smile. It put her in mind of Mary, and how she had been before becoming a famous author and leaving the island and the library.

"The other two children in the room, are the youngest of the family," and Kaemon pointed with his cane to a young boy with bright orange eyes who had engaged Mirei and Alan in conversation. "That is Yue. And…"

The youngest Princess wandered up to Claire and Meredith, reached out, and poked the smallest child in the shoulder. Hesitantly, Meri unburied her face from Claire's shoulder, to meet a pair of bright green eyes.

"Hi!" the girl exclaimed. "I'm Hoshiko! Come play?"

Claire chuckled, releasing Meredith. Mismatched eyes stared uncertainly, and she jumped when Hoshiko grabbed her hand and started to pull her away. Instantly she wriggled free and flung herself at her mother, hiding behind her.

"…that would be Hoshi," Kaemon chuckled at his little sister's bewilderment. "The youngest of the brood. She's never been very shy."

"Well, Meri is _very_ shy," Claire smiled a little at Hoshi. "But I'm certain she'll want to play later, okay?"

Green eyes turned thoughtful—surprisingly so for one as young as Hoshi—then the child darted away, returning seconds later with several stuffed dolls.

"We can play here!" she said in delight. "Please?"

Kaemon, Hotaru, and Claire all smiled. Meredith peered out from behind her mother's hair, and slowly edged out. She didn't much care for strangers, but according to Papa, these were family too… and they did _look_ like him…

Hoshi offered Meri a stuffed cat doll, green eyes bright and friendly. After a minute the child accepted the gift and sat down to play with her age-mate.

Claire glanced around as Hotaru retreated back to her corner—followed after a moment by an uncertain Lauren, who wanted to get a better look at the clothes. Akio and Jamie were involved in some sort of discussion, and Skye was still speaking—the argument had left with Toshihiro, who had just stormed out in frustration—with Daisuke and Yukiko.

"At a bit of a loss Lady Claire?" Kaemon smiled.

"Well… yes, actually," she shook her head ruefully. "I'm not really sure where to start…"

"Please, remain here," he nodded slightly. "I would like the chance to converse with you, outside of officiality and the robes. You must indeed be quite the lady to attract my eldest brother's attention."

Claire blushed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"We mostly met because he was stealing from the Valley where I live," she admitted with a quiet laugh.

"Sora, thieving?"

This got the attention of the remaining siblings, who gravitated in Claire's direction. Her children knew the stories of their father's thefts, but they always loved listening to their mother tell the stories.

Even Queen Tsukiko was intrigued enough to slip closer. Skye coughed in embarrassment as his siblings stared at him, then turned back to Claire, pelting her with questions.

The blond spluttered with laughter, both at the look on her husband's face, and the looks of his siblings. And proceeded to tell the full story, which extended well beyond breakfast, and even through the lunch hour. Thankfully it was a rest day, so there was no court for anyone to leave for, and the meals were delivered right to the room.

Toshihiro returned after a while, and despite himself listened in as well. To hear of his 'oh so perfect' eldest brother committing crimes… it was something of a treat for him after the loss of the argument.

* * *

"So, what did you think?" Skye asked as they readied for bed.

"I think my voice is hoarse from all that talking," Claire croaked, gratefully changing into her pajamas. "You didn't tell them _anything_ about your life on Earth?"

"I didn't think they'd be so interested…" he admitted. "And everything would have had to pass through a messenger first, so it would be secondhand information at the very best."

"What's Toshi's problem?" she asked after a long moment of silence, fingers deftly plaiting her hair. "It's almost like he hates you… I mean, Kae said that he and Dai resent you, but this seems worse…"

Skye chuckled, taking note of how quickly Claire had picked up their nicknames. It was nice to think that she could fit in just fine as long as several out-dated traditions were removed.

"I honestly do not know my love," he replied, hanging up the bright clothes. "Admittedly, we have never been on the best of terms, even when I was here. Part of it, as Kae says, stems from envy over the fact that I, as Eldest Son," and he made a face at the title, making Claire giggle, "was given a bye on my duties to roam the Earth, whereas when he made a similar request he was denied because he is the fourth son, and slated for marriage and alliance."

"That's kind of sad," the farmer tied off one braid and began to work on the other. "Wasn't there anything you could do?"

"I didn't hear about it until a long time later," he admitted, climbing onto the unnaturally soft bed. "So… no. Unfortunately. I think he would be much happier among the people of Earth instead of here, but trying to convince my mother of that is an uphill battle."

"Like her acceptance of me as your wife," she said dryly. "Though I expected that, all things considered."

He gave her a light tug, pulling her backwards. She went with the move, leaning her head against his shoulder as she continued to braid, and he rested his cheek against the top of her head.

"In case you're wondering," Claire said tartly, after the minutes had passed in silence. "No, I don't doubt you. Idiot."

She felt him start as she tied off the second braid, then turned, reaching up to wrap her arms around his shoulders. His arms felt warm around her waist, and she nuzzled his neck lightly, once.

"How could I doubt you after all that you've given me?"

He let out a soft sigh, and she felt a subtle tension ease from his body. She thought about being offended, then just sighed, and smiled wryly.

"You're an idiot," she teased gently. "You tell me to take a long view on things sometimes, but when it comes down to it, _you_ need to take a shorter view to see the obvious."

"Isn't that what I have you for?"

Startled, she looked up into his sea-green eyes. He _was_ worried, worried that a place like this would intimidate her into someone he didn't recognize. They couldn't be together all hours of the day, and she would have no patience for court… but that didn't stop him from wanting to protect her in the only way he knew how.

She reached up, and lightly caressed his cheek, blue eyes soft with a look reserved only for him.

"They can't dominate me, and they can't change me," she said softly. "I'm not going to become some fancy lady because they tell me my marriage to you makes me a princess, and I'm _certainly_ not going to abandon my home and farm for a bunch of PoM clones. Hear?"

"Again with the PoM?" his eyes were suspiciously bright, but he was smiling. "It make them sound like a type of dog."

She snickered, and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

* * *

_He worries, and for good reason, but I refuse to let the place change who I am. I will act as myself. No person in the world can change that._


	20. July 12, Summer, Year 36

**July 12, Summer, year 36**

_Sick kids, council meetings, places I could _swear_ I've been to but never have… it's hard to know where to start…_

* * *

Claire had a mother's sense of when something was not right with her children. The type that woke her up in the middle of the night and made her get out of bed just so that she could make sure.

Her gentle knock on the door was well-timed, Lauren pulled the door open with a relieved smile.

"Hey Mom," she looked as though she hadn't slept at all. "I was just about to come get you…"

"What's wrong?" Claire's blue eyes flicked past her eldest daughter "Are you feeling alright?"

"No, not really," like all the kids Lauren had an honest streak to her bones. "but I'm doing better than everyone else. Meri's alternating between throwing up and crying, Alan and Mirei are just throwing up and Jamie's passed out to the point of not waking up period."

Claire reached out, lightly placing her hand on her child's forehead.

"And you _shouldn't_ be up," she said sternly. "You're burning with fever honey. Go lie down, I'll get some things from the bathroom."

Lauren shook her head, and gave her mother a faint, clearly queasy, smile.

"Sympathetic nausea," she said by way of explanation. "Jamie's lucky he passed out…"

"What's going on?" Skye murmured sleepily, sitting up.

"Sick kids," Claire frowned unhappily.

She guided Lauren into the bathroom, wetting down a cloth to drape around the teen's neck and forehead.

"Stay here sweetie, I'll go take care of the little ones," She soothed her oldest with a gentle kiss. "Sleep if you can."

"Teleportation side effects," Skye was awake now, getting dressed. "I completely forgot about it. Everyone gets it on their first few teleports, some worse than others. I'll go get a healer, they'll ease the effects so that the kids can sleep them off."

Claire smiled faintly, filling a basin with cool, clear water, and grabbing several of the cloths that would be otherwise used in the bath.

"You're not entirely immune either," and as he passed he kissed her forehead lightly. "So don't push yourself."

"I'm a _mother_," and the indignation in her voice made him smile.

He knew full well that she would push herself until her children were better. It was just how she was.

Thankfully for all the little kids, Lauren had managed to find basins for them to throw up in which kept them from messing up their beds. Claire coaxed them to drink some of the water, smoothed fevered brows with cool washcloths, and sang songs to them as they waited for Skye to return.

She sat on Mirei's bed, cradling Meri, with the young twins each resting a head against a leg as she sang. It wasn't anything with meaning or import, it wasn't even, technically, a song. Just notes, filled with her wish for them to feel better.

It seemed to take forever for her husband to return, but return he did, with a woman in tow. Claire recognized the belt of the robes, but the robe itself was nowhere in sight. Instead the healer was wearing an almost floor-length robe of a pale green, tied with the silver belt that was on everyone else's robes.

"I am the head healer, Miharu," she said calmly. "I have attended to the lady Lauren, she will sleep off this affliction, as will the rest once I have seen to them."

And to Claire's surprise, she offered the blonde a faint, gentle smile.

"It is not uncommon for those newly teleported to become ill," and Miharu's voice was soothing as she moved first to Jamie. "Even our own suffer from this, though mortals and half-bloods always suffer the most. It is a wonder that you yourself are not ill my lady."

"I'm stubborn?" Claire offered, making Skye chuckle warmly.

"I do hope that your stubbornness keeps you from being ill," he interjected, worried in spite of himself. "You should be the worst affected, but maybe it's because you're used to magic…"

"That is likely my Prince," Miharu said, lifting hands that glowed amber from Jamie's forehead. "Few mortals have as much magic as your lady… but that may only delay the affects of the teleportation and dislocation."

Skye grimaced slightly, not liking the thought of his wife so afflicted. Claire just shrugged.

"I'm careful about paying attention to how I feel," she nodded, as Miharu touched both Alan and Mirei. "If I start to feel ill, I'll lie down immediately."

"Send a messenger to me, and I will arrive to treat you," Miharu looked up at Claire, eyes the same shade as the magic she was using. "I do hope that your symptoms are mild…"

She touched Meredith last, and by proxy, Claire. It felt… warm, the blonde decided. There was a taste in the back of her throat that was a little like honey.

"They will sleep for a day, perhaps two. No more than three," Miharu said as she pulled back. "I will send meals and drinks that will help restore their energy once they awaken."

Skye helped Claire transfer Alan and Meredith to their own beds, and collected Lauren from the bathroom. Miharu was halfway out the door when Claire called to her.

"Do you think… maybe you could teach me?" the farmer asked. "I've always thought that… well, healing would be good if I could learn it. But Winny's healing is done with potions, and the Harvest Goddess… well, she works with plants, not people."

The healer tilted her head slightly in thought.

"Not for this week," she said at last. "There is much to do even with Obon weeks away. But come to me after this week has ended and we shall arrange a time for beginning lessons."

And with that Miharu bowed, and slipped out the door, leaving Claire and Skye to themselves again. The blonde farmer leaned wearily upon her husband's shoulder and let out a long sigh.

"This happened to you too?" she asked after a minute.

"It's happened to everyone," he wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her head. "We get used to it after several trips, but then most of us just get headaches. Humans and half-humans are the ones who tend to get sick like this. It completely slipped my mind otherwise…"

"You say it and you're going to get an elbow in the gut," Claire warned, yawning. "There's _nothing_ you could say that would have made me change my mind, so get over it."

He laughed, and gently drew her back to their room.

"Let's see if we can't get a couple more hours of sleep," he suggested. "The council meeting will be shortly after breakfast, and past lunch it'll be time to take up duties… at least until the council stops arguing about the decision I've made."

"I'm coming with you to the meeting," and Claire's tone brooked no arguments.

"Are you going to wear _that?_" Skye's sea-green eyes glittered with amusement.

Her mouth opened in denial, then closed, a thoughtful look crossing her face.

"It would be properly fancy," he added, changing back into his pajama's as she climbed into the large bed. "And it would suit…"

"I'll.. think about it," she yawned. "Maybe. I might just wear my overalls to be annoying…"

* * *

In the end, she _did_ decided to wear that. _That_ being her wedding dress, which had been made by the Harvest Goddess sixteen years before. She wouldn't wear it for long, but it was suitably fancy, and—unlike the clothing in the closets—she _liked_ it.

Claire checked in on her sleeping children before she accompanied Skye—who was also dressed to the nines—on a calm walk to the Council Chamber. Daisuke joined them about halfway through, and Claire caught sight of the robes. But it was traditional, among other things, no matter how much she disliked the personality changes they underwent when they had the robes on.

The Council was a group of sixteen men and women, each clearly elderly. Where everyone Claire had met so far appeared to be anywhere from their teens to their late twenties, this group all appeared to be about the age of Griffin, or her Uncle Carter.

"I didn't think your people aged like this," she murmured softly.

Skye snorted, and tried very hard to keep a straight face. He wanted to _impress_ the Council with his decision, not make them think he was a feckless fool.

"It takes a great deal of time," he murmured back. "They are centuries older than even my mother."

And then, to Claire's utter annoyance, they started to speak in a language that she could _not_ understand. Skye quietly translated for her, at least until he was caught up as part of the conversation.

And she had the distinct feeling that he was leaving a lot of things out, if the expressions of the Council members were anything to go by. She had never been so glad for a group of people to start fighting amongst themselves, clearly dismissing the three of them.

Daisuke paused just outside the Council Chamber, and laid a hand on Skye's shoulder.

"Mother wishes me to pass on a dinner invitation, since your children have transport illness," he said calmly. "She also professes her understanding if you feel that you are unable to attend."

Claire and Skye exchanged looks. It was clear that Tsukiko meant Skye alone, but they would have to be quick to make it so that Claire would be going along as well…

"On or off?" Skye asked.

"Off, as always with family gatherings," Daisuke replied.

"Then…."

"_We_ would be honored to attend," Claire interrupted giving Daisuke a sweet smile. "Please thank Queen Tsukiko for her kindness."

There was a brief, tiny smile as Daisuke caught the meaning and the emphasis of Claire's words. He bowed, and started to walk away. Skye dropped a brief kiss on Claire's forehead and followed, both of them would be heading to the court session.

Which technically she should have been attending as well, but they had both agreed that Claire wasn't the type to be… nonjudgmental. In some cases it wouldn't entirely be a bad thing, many of the people who came to the court to get their situations handled were of the lower class who didn't wear the robes, but Claire personally had chosen to stay away from the court situation.

She was a farmer, not a queen. And that ended the discussion for her.

Instead, she headed for one of the many formal gardens, almost idly. It was more that she needed something to do, even dressed up formally. She missed the feel of the earth beneath her fingers.

A familiar scent caught her attention and she turned, smiling. Roses, a rainbow of hues stretched out as far as her eyes could see, and she wandered happily among them, touching petals with a gentle finger, admiring the gentle hues.

As she wandered, a strange feeling began to sweep over her. Déjà vu. Her feet turned onto first one path, then another as she made her way through what appeared to be a maze of roses and briars.

Slowly, they changed into pure white Moon Roses, the kind which she already had at her home, and pale gold roses that shone like the white ones, if brighter, like the sun. Ones that she had seen in her dreams…

Claire shivered a little bit, running one hand over the back of her neck and hesitated at a crossroad. One part of her urged her on, wanting to know what she could find and another held back, afraid. She was starting to recognize the area.

After a few minutes she let out a long breath and kept going. She _had_ to see if her memory matched up.

As she walked, a stillness began to descend over the garden. Singing birds faded into the background, the sound of hidden fountains vanished, and the air seemed to press in around her, stifling and choked.

Unintentionally she picked up the pace, heart jumping into the throat as she moved unerringly through the maze to its heart. It opened into a simple, circular clearing. A fountain sprayed in the center, and she was drawn to a spot, the white stone stained a red-brown color.

Her blue eyes widened, and a hand went up to her mouth.

* * *

Eyes watched the mortal as she drew close to the place where _it_ had happened at last. Her arrival was throwing all the long laid plans into turmoil, it would be harder to kill a second time if she insisted on being stubborn.

But then she _was_ mortal. They were always notoriously foolish in their ways because they lived for only a span of years and didn't have the time to learn intrigue and subtlety. Or perhaps it was just her.

Hands clenched. With her inattention it would be easy to push her into the fountain, hold her down until she breathed her last. Then she couldn't interfere. Because if there was something else every mortal had, it was an insatiable curiosity, and that could ruin everything.

Yes, better to remove her now than to let her remain and become a problem.

* * *

Her hands reached forward, lightly resting on the stone. She was sweating, she realized dimly, adrenaline surging through her system. This was the place; without a doubt _this_ was the place from her dreams where she had been killed with that deadly blue weapon.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she jumped about a foot, whirling in surprise… and met the concerned face of the female messenger.

* * *

Another time… there would be more chances… and maybe a certain lady would be enlisted to the cause, if stipulations were put upon the reward? Inevitably a female would grow closer to another female than a strange male…

* * *

"Are you alright my lady?" the messenger asked, dark amethyst colored eyes studying Claire. "You seem to be quite pale."

"I… think so," she said after a minute, catching her breath. "You _scared_ me."

"My apologies," and the messenger gave her a bow. "It was not my intent. You seemed to be uncertain. Is there perhaps something I can aid you in?"

She led Claire to a bench on the far side of the cleared area, and made the farmer sit, offering her a drink of water from a canteen at her hip.

"Did something.. happen there?" Claire asked after several long minutes had passed.

"That was where they found King Yasuo," the messenger murmured, making a crescent across her chest. "Stabbed in the back he was my lady, and had his throat cut for good measure. Whoever killed him didn't want to take any chances.

"I am surprised that you found your way here," she added. "To my knowledge, Queen Tsukiko and Prince Akio made it so that this place was off-limits to the unwary by magic."

Claire gave a faint, sheepish smile.

"Preventive magics don't really have any effect on me," she admitted. "No one's quite sure why, but that's how it is. I've walked in through a friend's several times before and nearly been killed for my pains. Though one time just left me with rainbow colored hair."

To her surprise, the messenger giggled.

"Forgive me my lady, but that is quite an amusing mental picture."

Claire grinned, feeling her good humor slowly restore itself, even if the feverish feeling didn't fade.

"I have pictures," she admitted with a faint chuckle. "My husband didn't believe me at first when I told him, so I had to give him proof."

"You are lucky, my lady, to have one such as Prince Sora," the messenger smiled. "Many Ladies and Princesses of the Kingdoms held fond wishes of enticing him to their beds, if not their hearts."

"What's your name?" Claire asked then, changing the subject because that innocent comment had come close to touching a nerve of fear she wasn't ready to admit to. "I mean, if you don't mind me asking."

"I am Tenshi," and the messenger smiled. "I head the messengers of Tranquility Palace."

If she was the head messenger, she sure didn't look the part. At least, not in Claire's opinion. Her pale yellow—it was _almost_ not pastel—robe was tattered all around the hems, and ended almost at her knees. Shoes that looked simply like bags were around her feet.

In fact the only things that looked _new _were the pale blue sash holding the robe closed—though she would also bet gold that there were some clever hidden fasteners inside the robe—and the strange accessories that the messenger wore.

Attached to her wrists, upper arms, and ankles—in fact they were holding on the sack-shoes—were a series of blue ribbons and what looked to be white-angle-type wings, all in miniature.

Tenshi looked down at them as Claire stared, and chuckled.

"They allow me to fly," she answered the farmer's unspoken question. "It enhances the speed of delivery, and in some cases the quicker the delivery the more I collect for payment."

"Really? Fly?"

In response, the messenger made little skip-hop, and shot up into the air. Claire stared in astonishment, then applauded her glee. Tenshi landed gently, blushing a little at Claire's awe.

"Every messenger receives them, though not every messenger keeps them," she added with a wry smile. "Some cannot fly no matter how much practice they put into it and are usually just foot-messengers between the inner castle nobles."

"I have this image of people running into ceilings," Claire giggled.

"You wouldn't be too far off my lady."

"Claire, please. I, as Queen Tsukiko is fond of reminding everyone, am no lady. I'm just a humble farmer…" and her blue eyes softened, "Who is lucky enough to be loved by Skye."

It didn't take Tenshi more than a second to connect the name of 'Skye' to 'Prince Sora,' and gave a faint, approving nod.

"I should let you get back to your duties though, shouldn't I?" Claire smiled.

"I have none at the moment my l-… Claire," Tenshi hastily switched over when she saw the mutinous expression on the blonde's face. "Actually Prince… Skye sent me to make certain that you were not suffering delayed effects of the teleportation. Many are surprised that you and your children were able to attend Her Royal Majesty's breakfast the other morning, normally the illness hits right away."

"Yes well," and Claire's smile was rueful. "They're sleeping now… I feel…"

She paused, and let out a few breaths. The heat was starting to make her vision swim a little, but she wasn't ready to admit defeat, not after telling the queen that she would be at the family dinner.

"Uncomfortably warm, but not overly ill. It probably won't last much longer, but I _refuse_ to let that woman get the best of me," and she clenched her hands in stubborn determination. "I won't give her an _inch_! If she wants my respect, she's going to have to _earn_ it."

"You may have a long wait then, Queen Tsukiko shares many traits with Prince Toshihiro, and both are entirely stubborn and determined to have their way," Tenshi shook her head, short strands of silver hair fluffing slightly. "She was more amiable when King Gintoki was alive…"

"And if he still was, I would still be at home," Claire sighed, propping her head in her hands. "Taking care of my farm, where I belong."

"What is it like, farming?" Tenshi queried. "Most food is brought up from the earth, as we have only the Seas to cultivate and most of those are taken up by the sprawling castles and towns."

Claire lit up, launching in her favorite topic with an enthusiasm that belied her decreasing state of health. The messenger nodded, and asked many questions, centering the topic firmly. She was a good listener, and the hours passed away swiftly, until it was time for Claire and Skye—who had joined them moments before, looking for his wife—to head to the Queen's chambers and a late supper.

"It has been nice discussing with you Claire," and Tenshi was completely sincere. "I hope I can avail myself of your knowledge more later, once you have recovered."

The messenger took off—literally—showing off just a little for the golden-haired woman who laughed in childlike delight.

Skye chuckled, offering Claire his arm. She took it gratefully, needing it more than she cared to admit.

"You've made a friend in that one," he said, taking care not to mention how pale Claire looked. "A good one as well. Despite not being a noble, she has power."

"She told me! She runs the whole of the messenger system here in Tranquility. It's pretty impressive."

"I think, my love, that she was more impressed with your ability to care for the farm," and Skye smiled warmly at his wife. "You must admit it's quite the challenge some days."

"But it's a _worthy_ challenge," she teased. "And a fun one. Besides, it's _home_. What else would it be after all this time?"

He shifted his grip, wrapping an arm around her waist to lay a kiss to the top of her head.

"You're going to Miharu after this," he said.

Claire didn't argue, knowing full well that she was taxing herself beyond her limits. But letting the Queen think she was backing down was… too much. Too much like giving in to the woman's will, which she never would. And Skye knew it, which was the only reason he was allowing it.

"Sometimes love, you're far too stubborn."

"Ah, but would you still love me if I was any other way?"

He chuckled, pulling her closer.

"I would love you even if you looked like Murrey," he joked.

She smacked him in the shoulder.

* * *

_According to Miharu I'll be sleeping a little longer than my children… I hope we don't sleep through Alan and Mirei's birthday, that would be disappointing._

_Maybe I can access the kitchens after I wake up…_


	21. July 15, Summer, Year 36

**July 15, Summer, year 36**

_Goodness. I'd forgotten how trivial everything became up here.. (Don't worry my dear, I didn't read anything, I just need to write a little myself.) If it's not people complaining and playing the politics games, it's my siblings who all insist that I should just _be_ king._

* * *

Skye hated leaving Claire's side. Sleeping like she was, she became more vulnerable than not, and there were more than a few women who would cheerfully attempt to off her in hopes that he might turn his affections their way. There were several ways he could prevent this, but he disliked asking his siblings for any help.

The most he could do to keep them safe—he had no choice but to report to court daily, though he tried to hand things off to Daisuke more often than not—was spell the door so that only he and the healer Miharu could enter the room.

Naturally this annoyed not only the servants charged with cleaning his room, but his Moon-family. _Especially_ his mother, who was smug and sulky by turns over the fact that Claire was sleeping.

And dealing with politics had long since ceased being an activity he enjoyed. Dressing up in 'kingly' robes and making decisions for petitioners was both long and tedious even in a land where the sun never truly vanished and the temperature was perfect at all times.

The perfection more than anything was what had begun to grate on his nerves. Only the youngest of his siblings—Hoshiko and Yue—could alleviate that, because they were children, and were anything _but_ perfect.

He indulged them with tales of his earthly travels, often drawing a crowd of more than just his family when he did so because Skye liked to act out some of the more ridiculous adventures. Even thinking about them could bring a smile to his face.

Older nobles, looked down on his antics with frowns and sniffs of derision. Claire would have favored them with cutting remarks, in her blunt, adorable way, but he just ignored them. He wasn't going to be their king for very long, earning their respect was the last thing on his mind.

What was always on his mind were his own children, and his wife. Three days had passed, but none of them showed any signs of waking. Claire stirred sometimes in her sleep, but then, she had always been something of a restless sleeper. All of them were curled into a sort of stasis that only ended when the illness had run its course.

In the back of his mind, Skye knew that the return trip would be worse with no healer to ease the effects. He tried not to think about it, but it niggled at him at the most random times, usually right when he was supposed to be making a decision of some type regarding the petitioners.

Sine he'd taken up that duty, his mother had often retired, returning only to run Late-Court if Daisuke didn't want the duty, since Skye preferred to spend that time outside the palace. Or, with his sleeping wife and children.

His left hand reached out and lightly brushed some of Claire's blonde hair from her face. Even unconscious, she knew his touch and shifted slightly, leaning into the warmth of his fingers.

"I can't believe that this place used to be home," he murmured tiredly, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. "I wonder how everything is going on earth? I would imagine that some people are wanting letters… I almost wish this _was_ a mundane problem."

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Alongside his duties of kingship until Daisuke was accepted by the council—he wished he could just announce it and be done with the mess—he was also in charge of finding out who had killed his father.

Skye had the suspicion that Claire's dreams could lead him to the killer, but endangering his wife… completely out of the question. Besides, what was the point of causing so much trauma to her? As long as she simply believed they were bad dreams…

He knew that he couldn't protect her forever, but he intended to do so for as long as possible. It was his prerogative after all, as both her husband and a man in general. And until she told him to knock it off—she would eventually—he would try to keep her out of the way. If she wanted to speak up about her dreams…. He would attempt to dissuade her, but that was about it.

Skye let off a quiet chuckle, looking down at Claire. Her stubborn streak was a mile wide, and he'd gotten exposed to it—and used to it—in their many years together. If he were to admit the truth, he liked it on some occasions. And she was at least smart enough to back down when proven incorrect.

Well… most of the time.

The temporary king let off a quiet sigh, tapping the pen idly against the pages of the journal. A slight breeze made several light tapestries in the room flutter, and brought a familiar scent to his nose, that of roses. It made him smile faintly.

"I wonder how often I'll have to pull you out of that garden?" he mused. "Though perhaps I shouldn't, you would be bored with some of the functions here…"

Claire simply rolled in her sleep, one arm crossing his lap, cheek pressing into his hip. In short order, Skye became the teddy bear, a situation he was quite used to. Carefully he laid one hand on Claire's head, twining his fingers in her brilliant blonde hair. Peaceful moments were starting to become few and far between, and he'd only been in "Tranquility" Palace less than a week.

Six months was going to be torture…

* * *

_Ah well… as long as I have my children and my wife, I should be able to weather this storm. Still, I wonder who killed my father? For what purpose as well?_

_It can't simply have been to draw me back up here, can it? Who would do something like that, there's no… logic to it._

_Mmm… thinking in circles will get me nowhere. I should let it go for the moment, Akio can take care of the details without my interference. Once he has something I am certain we shall all sit down and be witness to it._


	22. July 16, Summer, Year 36

**July 16, Summer, year 36**

Mmmm, so apparently I slept for four days? Long time for me. I thought about reading what Skye wrote—I mean it's _my_ journal after all—but changed my mind because it's relatively pointless. He wrote private thoughts, and if he wants to share them with me, he will.

We're all awake at this point, though according to Miharu the kids woke first. Not surprising, I refused to let myself lay down, so it makes _sense_ that I would be out the longest.

I think Skye's away at court now, and the kids are amusing themselves with the stuff in his "junk" room. I find myself wondering where he got the doll that changes colors, but the more sensible part of me says I really don't want to know.

Then again, all things considered he might've made it himself, the way the kids have at their own lessons. Heh. The multicolored sheep comes to mind.

Alan and Mirei turn ten tomorrow, but I don't have a thing for them. At home I'd be baking them cupcakes, maybe finishing the cloth doll I was working on for Mirei… give Alan his bug net for the day…

Ah, this place is dull as all get out. Doesn't help that Miharu's orders keep us from leaving the rooms. I understand them—I nearly fell over trying to take a shower after I woke up—but that doesn't mean I have to like them.

I'm probably the bane of all doctors everywhere. Hah!

Meri's curled up with me, looking through one of the many books that was in their room. Neither of us can read the writing, but the pictures are impressive. I wonder if they're of the other kingdoms, or if it's a book of fairy tales? Skye would know…

Man, being this ignorant is annoying! I can't tell her anything about the places we're looking at—and they're all very beautiful, I wonder where they are?—or what any of this writing means. At any rate at least I can make the stories up.

Makes me wish I could head over to Win's for a short period of time. She could either translate for me—at least until she lost her temper—or would know a handy spell so that I _could_ read it.

I should mention that to Skye. He might know a spell for it. And while I'm at it, I can accost him for ideas on what to do for Alan and Mirei tomorrow!

Miharu has not only ordered us to stay in, we're not allowed to eat much in the way of real food. She's given us honey-laced tea, sweetened milk—I'm still trying to figure out what the sweetener is, it's enough to get _me_ gagging a little—and some strange tasting broth. And if we manage to eat it for three days we can graduate to real food again.

I think I wanna smack something. Or some_one_.

But I can't deny that I feel a little stronger every time I have some of the stuff, even if I'm a little worried about cavities. Too much sugar and all that. Still no one else seems to be suffering for the over-sweet foodstuffs.

I think. Lauren makes a face every time she gets a refill for her tea. Can't blame her though it _is_ attack of the sweet.

I wonder if it will be like this when we return home? Maybe we should try teleporting to different palaces to get used to it… Then again that's probably not the best of ideas, all things considered. I'm only tolerated here because I'm married to Skye, I don't think other kingdoms would be to amiable to a mortal and her kids portal-jumping until we got used to the sensation.

Drat, that means going home is going to be harder than getting here was.

Well, wait, maybe not. Miharu _did_ say she'd train me a little once the week was out. Maybe I can learn the spell that put my kids under, I can handle a little suffering.

I wonder what's happening this week? Oh, right… it's the funeral for Skye's father.

Kinda sad that I don't even know his name. Though, I have to admit, I think Skye would've preferred to keep the two different lives separate, maybe. I would in his shoes, considering what a mess they tried to cause sixteen years ago with… whatsherface, who's name escapes me. Heck, did I even _hear_ her name? I forget. Too many years.

Life would have been so much easier if that hadn't happened.

I mean, Lauren—my friend, not my daughter—might still be alive. Well… no, maybe she wouldn't. That was Damien's insanity not anything Moon-related.

Bah, I can't change the past no matter how much I might want to, so I guess there's really no point in wondering. Besides, everything worked out in the end.

Ack, Miharu's back. I think we're all being chased to sleep!

* * *

It's very difficult to keep track of the flow of time here! The sun doesn't set more than a little bit, and the sky—or at least what _looks_ like the sky—is always a very pale blue. At this point I think I'm lucky to have a little calendar on the wall that has the day glow.

Right, anyways! Skye was here when I woke up again—everyone apparently decided to share the bed so it was a bit of a tight squeeze—so I got to ask him some of the things bothering me.

For the twin's birthday, we're just going to have to improvise. He said he'd play hooky and show us one of his favorite hiding places, as long as it was okay with Miharu. I haven't asked yet, she's supposed to be here soon though.

I hope she gives the okay, his hints have made me curious. It's apparently a place _outside_ the palace.

Oh! Apparently King Yasuo's—his father's—funeral is four days after the younger twin's birthday, so everyone is running around like chickens with their heads removed to prepare the feast, the speech that Tsukiko will make, the speech that _Skye_ will make… He said he's going to make Daisuke do it because it's supposed to come from the next King and it's sure as heck not going to be _him_.

Ah, I do love him for that. He even put his foot down about it, and Dai agreed.

Although, he won't countermand Miharu's orders, so the kids an I have to do what she says. But if we're 'good' we can get out of the rooms for the funeral, and maybe eat a bit of the real food that will be set up.

All we have to do is sit through speeches… I'd say how hard can it be, but I have the feeling that I don't want to know. I've said stupid things before, I don't want to chance it now.

I do wonder what the mourning color is. None of these people would look good in black on black on black like at home. Besides, as much as I want to mess with these people, I don't want to be _too_ disrespectful. And it _was_ Skye's father.

I'd ask Skye, but he's reading to everyone. By which I mean all the kids, and I'm listening too. We've even got Hoshiko and Yue in here listening. It makes me wonder what he was up too these past few days to have his younger, previously unknown, siblings hero-worshiping him like this.

And on second thought I don't think I want to know. I'm sure he _does_ have a good reason, but common sense is intruding and telling me to not ask.

Mmm… I feel like a hot bath, for some reason my muscles are all tensed up. And a bath won't knock me down the way the shower did earlier.

Hehe… if he wasn't reading to the kids, I'd kidnap him. Ah well, there's always other times for that… besides, I need to have the energy to talk to Miharu.

Right, bath…


	23. July 17, Summer, Year 36

**July 17, Summer, year 36**

_He said the place was beautiful, but I had _no idea_ the magnitude of the word's meaning… I am in awe still…_

* * *

True to his word, Skye played hooky from court, telling Daisuke it was his business for the day. Miharu reluctantly gave them permission to go out, mostly because she couldn't quite bring herself to attempt to naysay Skye just yet, even if he was only _acting_ king.

Everyone dressed as usual, from Claire in her favorite overalls—bright yellow was the game of the day—to Meri in _her_ favorite overalls—a bright pink, courtesy of Lauren. Mirei and Alan decided to match for the day in bright orange and blue, Lauren went for a bright purple with her jacket, and Jamie went with green.

"We're a walking rainbow compared to the rest of them," Lauren grinned despite a few drops of sweat that trickled down her face.

"To be fair, half the colors we wear would look rather garish on the rest of them," Skye chuckled, pulling on his favorite blue shirt. "I may not be one for pastels, but you must admit there are very few colors that go with silver hair."

"Eh, we always find something," Claire teased, braiding her hair up. "Anything that saves us from the leopard print you used to wear…"

Lauren and Jamie snickered, and Skye huffed in mock-annoyance.

"What was wrong with the leopard print?"

Claire made a show of thinking abut it, which only made Skye huff again, and prop his hands on his hips. This, in turn, made her burst out laughing, which had been the whole point of the maneuver.

Miharu poked her head through the door, and winced a little at the colors they were wearing. She was… used to pale colors, theirs were almost blinding in their intensity. Both hands were occupied with small silver bags, that looked like they would rip at a moments notice, and she balanced them very carefully.

In truth, they were the PoM's version of a large picnic basket. One was filled with the things that Claire and the children were allowed to eat—the items that were almost _too_ sweet for ingestion—the other held food for Skye, and helpful translated books for everyone to read.

"You're to come back if you get too fatigued," Miharu scolded gently. "I understand it's a birthday, but that's no reason to push yourselves."

"Yes Miharu," they chorused, actually startling the healer a bit.

Skye chuckled as Miharu fumbled to regain her composure, and relieved her of the bags. He understood, having the whole family say the exact same thing was a little disconcerting the first few times it happened.

"We're not going far," he promised. "Don't worry Miharu, it'll be okay."

The healer huffed an annoyed sigh, and shook her head as she left. Claire blinked.

"Are my habits going to rub off on _everybody?_" she wondered.

"Only the people who like you dear."

"…somehow, that's not comforting."

There was sporadic giggles from the children, who went silent when Claire raised an eyebrow in their direction.

"Well, come on then," Skye was trying very hard to keep a straight face.

He didn't feel like getting hit. It wouldn't _hurt_, but he still didn't want to get hit.

* * *

The path they followed for a short period of time was laid with stones that shifted colors when they stepped on them. They actually stopped there briefly so that Alan and Mirei could run back and forth changing the colors at random while the rest of them sat on nearby benches.

"How far _do_ we have to go?" Claire asked, resting her head against Skye's shoulder. "I mean as much as I want to see the lands outside the palace, somehow I think Miharu would be a tad bit upset if we collapsed outside said grounds."

"Don't worry, I have a way to get us as close as possible by carriage, then it's only a ten minute walk."

"…carriage?"

He grinned.

"Just wait, you'll like it," he chuckled.

"Dad, that's not fair!" Lauren had been listening as well, and now pouted in her father's direction. "You make everyone curious like this _all the time!_"

"I know. Isn't it fun?"

Idly, Claire reached up, and lightly smacked his head. He winced a little, more for effect than actual pain, and chuckled.

"Brat," she muttered, unable to keep from smiling.

"Ah, but you love me anyways."

"You're darn lucky I do," and she shook her fist mock threateningly under his nose.

Jamie and Lauren both snickered, and even Meri giggled as her parents.

"Mommy and Daddy are so silly," she said cheerily, swinging her legs so that her small feet hit the underside of the stone bench. "Nicer than the ghost-people."

"Well, I'm sure there are some nice ghost-people," Jamie half-smiled. "Miharu seems pretty nice, and Mom did meet that messenger lady, right?"

Claire grinned.

"Tenshi. I like her. She seems more sensible than most of the frippy courtiers that you have to deal with daily."

"Well, she _is_ a messenger dear, they don't come from the high-noble families, so they don't have to deal with the robes."

"Lucky non-nobles," Lauren muttered. "I suppose we shouldn't complain too much seeing as no one's tried to grab us for the robes, but still, it's creepy that they wear those things."

Before the conversation could get too serious, Alan and Mirei, panting from their effort, came up to the bench and all but fell across their parents.

"I suppose this is a hint that we should find this carriage of yours?" Claire smiled faintly up at her husband, idly rubbing Mirei's back.

"Wait a moment, it should be here quickly."

Five minutes passed, before there was a quick rush of wind, and several… well, they looked like _clouds_… floated to a stop in front of them.

Jaws dropped, and eyes were rubbed in astonishment. Meri squealed in glee and instantly jumped onto the nearest one. It gave a little under her weight, but she didn't fall through, and instead was giggling at the fluffy feeling of the cloud. Alan and Mirei, seeing it support their little sister were quick to jump on after, which bounced Meredith up a little, much like a trampoline. Again the child squealed in delight, clapping her hands excitedly as she laughed.

Jamie and Lauren were more careful about it, edging around the clouds edging before each picked a spot and sat. Alan, Meri and Meri were bouncing around excitedly, but the addition of their older siblings quickly put an end to that, as they negated a good portion of the elasticity.

Skye had to do a bit more persuading to get Claire to sit on the cloud-carriage, which was mostly a construct of magic. Even seeing it was holding up the weight of her combined children and her husband's reassurances that such constructs could easily hold three times as many people couldn't fully ease her mind.

So, finally, Skye did the usual last resort and pulled her onto the construct by pulling her onto his lap. With everyone on, the cloud seemed to bunch up around the edges, pushing them all towards its center, before ascending off the pathway and up into the 'sky.'

"Hey Dad?" Lauren pointed up. "How come all we see when we look for the moon is a silver disk when there's all this color on it?"

"Shielding spells," he replied, stifling a chuckle at Claire's squeaks of surprise. "The People don't like the idea that humans can see them if they look at the moon, so they cloak it in various shields that make the moon look barren and white."

"That's lame," Jamie's voice sounded a bit miffed. "I mean, didn't they mingle more two-or-three hundred years ago?"

"Yes, but that was then, this is now, the moment is never the same twice."

Claire snorted, smiling faintly. He had a lot of sayings like that, but they rarely got used.

"Everything's so pretty from up here…" Mirei was looking over the side her blue eyes wide in awe. "Like a pastel patchwork blanket!"

No one in the family had trouble with heights beyond the littlest—who was cringing away from the edge—so in short order Claire, Jamie, Lauren and Alan had joined Mirei in watching the scenery. Meredith just sat in the middle of the cloud, on her father's lap. Skye had seen it all before.

"I reiterate!" Claire leaned back slightly, smiling at Skye. "You _left_ this place?"

"You want to stay?"

"Not on your _life!_" was the quick denial. "I'm just having trouble seeing how you could trade this…"

"I don't know," Skye smiled slyly, and reached out to snake an arm around her waist, pulling her back towards him. "I think I got a good deal on that trade, hmm?"

A blush crossed her face, and she gave him a soft smile.

"Flatterer."

* * *

The floating was actually soothing enough that most of them dropped off into naps. It would have been faster to teleport to the nearest station, but that would have robbed Skye of his hours of peace. The People didn't _chatter_ at him per se, but they certainly didn't leave him much in the way of breathing room, even when he was outside the court.

As long as he thought of this as a vacation of some type, it was actually a bit easier to deal with. As much as he loved the farm, the work was constant. It lessened only slightly in the winter, because nothing could be grown above-ground.

Not that this had stopped his wife from building a rather extensive basement greenhouse so that she could continue to profit during off-season.

…okay, sometimes it _was_ a little hard to deal with. But she was always so careful to take him into consideration as well, so it was harder still to take offense over her wanting something to fill the time now that their children were getting old enough to be self-sufficient. She took care of the greenhouse on her own more often than not, and they all loved having out of season fruit in their pancakes in the middle of a winter storm.

He let out a faint sigh, and found himself admitting that he missed having time with just them. Turn back time sixteen years when she was still awkward, he was still a thief… that had been some of their best encounters. Perhaps they should have planned on more time between their marriage and their first children…

Skye wasn't about to admit that he still had that picture he'd "borrowed" from her at that long ago Beach festival. She'd cheerfully kill him. Well, alright, cheerfully threaten him, then mock him for keeping such an old picture.

He looked down at her bright blonde hair and huffed a quiet sigh, contemplating.

"Daddy?" Meri yawned, a noise that ended in a mouse-like squeak. "You unhappy?"

"Not really kitten, just thinking."

"Mommy's unhappy."

He blinked sea-green eyes and focused on his youngest. Sometimes children could see what adults could not.

"Mommy wants to go home," the child continued, brow furrowed as she tried to find the right words to express what she could feel in her mother's emotions. "She doesn't wanna have us… esposed to alla the bad stuff up here."

"I don't either," Skye reached out and ruffled Meri's hair gently. "If it comes down to the truth of the matter, I rather wish all of you would have stayed home."

Meri considered this as her mother started sliding slowly into wakefulness, roused by Skye's voice.

"But then you might not come back," the child said in the same matter-of-fact tone Claire often used when stating the obvious. "Who would take care of Mommy then?"

Skye was silent for several long minutes, hating that point. Had he come alone, it was very likely that he would have been tricked or maneuvered into a robe, and that would have ended very badly. Either he would have been pulled into kingship and left Claire alone or… well, at the very least he would probably have gotten himself killed. Which, again, would leave Claire by herself.

A low, sleepy laugh made him jump, and Meri lit up instantly, rolling into Claire's embrace.

"And have us miss all the fun?" Claire inched up so that her head was sitting on Skye's leg. "Dummy."

She was, he realized, only half-awake at best. Which meant she was going to be a little less guarded, if he worded things carefully.

"Before you ask, no. I don't regret it, and I don't want to change anything," she went thoughtfully silent for a minute, admiring the expression of annoyed amusement that crossed his face. "I never told you, did I, what I wished for the night we met?"

"What you wished for?"

"Ramona's fountain doubled as the wishing well, since Griffin's well near the Blue Bar was off limits. Lumina invited me over that night because she had something she was going to give me…" Claire shifted positions so fast that Skye actually jumped, and Meri giggled to see her mother put her father in a not-too-tight stranglehold. "Which you _stole_."

"Ack!" Skye tumbled away when Claire released him, trying not to grin. "It was shiny, and magical. What else was I supposed to do?"

She mock-growled at him, eyes glittering with laughter.

"You're a _magpie_, I swear to the Goddess," she sighed, flapping a hand at him in mock-annoyance. "You like anything shiny and not nailed down."

He just chuckled an agreement, reached out and captured her hand, pulling the blonde to him in a quick move.

"So, what did you wish for?"

Claire paused, closed her eyes and let out a faint sigh, smiling.

* * *

_She walked up to the fountain, pulling a coin from her pocket, a silly smile playing across her face. It was something she always did, even though the fountain was in no way connected to the Harvest Goddess Pond.  
Blowing on the coin, Claire tossed it in the water, and closed her eyes.  
"I wish I could meet someone just for me," she whispered._

* * *

"And then you walked out the mansion door," her smile turned a little self-conscious. "It was actually a little unnerving to have that happen so quickly, it was almost a relief to find out that I would have to _work_, to get you…"

"Shouldn't that be me working to get you?" he asked, resting his chin on her head.

"Pffft," she elbowed him gently. "I beg to differ on who did more work Mister 'Phantom Skye.'"

He choked a little to hear his old nickname, and his wife giggled.

"Oh relax," she grinned. "Sometimes my dear, you think too much."

Before he could come up with an argument, the cloud began to descend with gentle corkscrew turns that had Meredith hiding her face in her mother's lap, and woke the other kids as well.

"We're there?" Lauren yawned, rubbing the sleep from her sea-green eyes.

"Almost," Skye replied. "Once we reach ground it's probably a ten minute hike, but after that we'll be there."

* * *

He had miscalculated slightly, forgetting to take into account their less-than-stellar energy. It actually took them _thirty_ minutes, but the hike was worth it.

The clearing that opened out before them was a myriad of bright, confusing colors, deep orange mingling with even dark purple, sky blue azalea's mixing with bright red roses. There was a waterfall even, though it didn't roar as much as it gently rushed.

Butterflies, dragonflies, ladybugs, and a myriad of other insects that Alan had never seen bounded away at their approach, as did some odd looking rabbits with golden, feather-like ears.

What startled Skye was the sight of Hotaru drawing herself up in surprise, and Kaemon who seemed just as shocked to see them as he was. Alan paid them no mind, since Yue wasn't around, and immediately set off with the bug net he'd 'liberated' from the junk room.

After a few tense moments, Kaemon's surprise faded into a rueful smile.

"Come and join us, Eldest Brother," he offered. "We were settling in for noon-meal."

"Ironic that," and Claire had to grin. She _liked_ Kaemon, he seemed the most open of Skye's family, and definitely the most willing to accept her. "We came to celebrate their birthday," and she gestured to the already-hidden-in-the-grass Alan and Mirei, who was holding a finely crafted porcelain doll. "And I guess recuperate. So Skye," and she grinned wickedly at her husband, "now has someone to eat real food with while the rest of us struggle with the over-sweetened stuff."

Skye propped one hand on his hip and opened his mouth to protest, when a very feminine giggle interrupted him. Hotaru, reclusive, silent Hotaru, was laughing at her sister-in-law.

Well, that shut him up rather quickly, and in no time at all they'd meshed together as one large group. Hotaru was not as forthcoming as Kaemon, but Claire was adept at drawing out conversation from even the most reluctant, and soon enough she was hearing tales of the different kinds of animals in the area. Skye had produced another doll for Meri to play with, and she was happily playing pretend with Mirei, and Lauren who had agreed to play with them. Jamie was just listening to Kaemon, who was a veritable fount of information about the Moon People and the culture in general.

As they posed no threat—well, beyond Alan hunting for bugs—Hotaru was eventually convinced to call in some of the more exotic wildlife. The golden eared bunnies returned first, natural curiosity having lured them to the edge of the clearing, and slowly, odder creatures made their way forward. The three girls dropped their game when a trio of winged horses stepped into the clearing, obviously hesitant. Jamie joined in the staring when a winged _cat_ zipped in from nowhere and landed on his stomach.

"Woooooow…."

Dolls were abandoned in favor of the new animals, though Mirei nearly had a heart attack when a dragonfly-winged frog landed on her hair. Claire held exactingly still when another of the winged cats made its appearance and climbed into her lap with no reservations.

And it was clear from the look on Hotaru's face that it hadn't been prompted in the slightest.

Alan was delighted with the fly-winged frog, and got into a long not-really-an-argument with Skye about being able to keep it. Eventually, Skye asked Hotaru to intervene, and she had, making the now ten-year-old sulk for about five minutes before returning to the bug hunt.

"He is an odd one," she said, settling back into her place next to Claire. "Meaning no disrespect, but he seems…"

"To be the odd one out," Claire nodded. "He tells me that when he gets bigger he's going to be a plant and bug hunter like Parsley in Mineral Town, or Basil in Flowerbud. Travel the world. Lauren too, she's not going to stay, I know."

"You seem…" Kaemon tilted his head slightly. "Not happy about this."

"It's a mother's prerogative to worry about her kids futures," and the blonde grinned a little. "But I don't want to control them and make them unhappy. I know that at least _some_ of my children will take over my farm-"

"Me!" Jamie and Meredith chorused, making the assembled family laugh.

"And that's more than fine. Even if _none_ of them wanted it, I could probably leave it to one of Muffy's kids, or Celia's if they showed the aptitude for farming."

Kaemon was clearly mulling this over, and Hotaru shook her head slightly, a mixture of amazed and shocked.

"You are a very strange woman," she said.

Claire grinned.

"I get that a lot."

* * *

_That was definitely a fun day. Exhausting, but fun and well worth the effort. And I am ready to _drop_, so I think I will. Recovering still after all…_


	24. July 21, Summer, Year 36

**July 21, Summer, year 36**

_I think I got the biggest shock of my life today… King Yasuo, Skye's father… He was the one in my dream!_

_

* * *

_

Claire had spent the better part of an hour awake, just listening to the sounds outside the chambers. She had slipped from the bed, actually moving to a window so that she could look out over the grounds. Mist bathed the ground, providing a muffling gray hue to the rest of the pastel blanket.

What few sounds there were, it tended to be the sounds of footsteps, and even those seemed hushed. It was almost eerie, the silence. For a brief moment she wondered if she wasn't dreaming again. Those fear-filled dreams had always been near-silent beyond the sound of running feet, the harsh gasping of breath…

She shuddered slightly, then jumped about a foot as Skye's hand brushed against her head. The Prince chuckled tiredly, as she relaxed again, leaning into the touch then leaning into him as his arm curled around her waist.

"Something on your mind?"

"It's just… really quiet," she sighed softly. "I guess it's a little unnerving. Silence never gets very comfortable around here."

He had to admit to that after a minute. He was more used to the bustle and good-cheer of the farm than the cool courtesy and near-silence of the palace grounds. Footsteps were usually the loudest noises made in the hallways, other than the rare conversation.

"Well, I can think of one silence that's comfortable," and he grinned at her.

Claire snorted lightly and thumped him in the shoulder, amusement flickering across her face.

"You're horrible," she chuckled softly. "you know that?"

"Mmhm, but that's never stopped you before."

She ducked her head so that her golden hair swung forward hiding her face. Skye blinked, concern stabbing at him. The shaking of her shoulders made him wonder if maybe he'd been an idiot and made her cry… and then the giggles could no longer be repressed.

He relaxed then, letting out a private sigh of relief. Sometimes he jumped the wrong way, even after all this time. Still, it was fun even if accidental, and none of their arguments took any tone of seriousness.

"So does this mean you _don't_ want to have our own comfortable silence?"

Blue eyes met and locked with sea-green, glittering with laughter.

"There would be one if you'd be quiet," her grin was wickedly mischievous, "and just hold on."

He complied readily, resting his chin on her head, and settling his other arm around her shoulders. Moments like this were rare enough, especially with five kids, so the pair happily took advantage of the silence.

She melted back into his embrace, blue eyes slipping half closed as they stared out the window together, looking at nothing.

"Claire?"

"Mmm?" She looked up, tilting her head slightly. It was rare that he used her name instead of the many pet-names. It usually meant he was serious, a state that was rare.

"Thank you."

She blinked, startled as he pulled her closer, protectively. It wasn't that he was going to cry—Skye would be the first to admit that, while he'd been in awe of his father, it had never bee more than hero-worship. Nothing like the love he held for his children and his wife—but to have her be there for him… It wasn't anything he'd ever expected.

Had his mother tried to push Lady Hikari on him years earlier, he might never have known this magnitude of emotion, none of which was detrimental in the slightest. If anything, strong emotional attachments made _him_ stronger.

And his introspection was clearly worrying his wife, who had tensed up ever so slightly, shifting around so that she could actually _look_ at him. He smiled down at the concerned blonde, who looked like she was torn between saying something or letting him think.

"Just thinking about how lucky I am love," he reassured her. "That's all."

"You sure?" one blonde eyebrow went up as Claire scrutinized him. "You looked… depressed."

Skye's smile was faint, but it was there. After a moment she smiled back, relief easing the tensed shoulders. Seeing him worry over something she couldn't help him with bothered her more than she was willing to admit.

"You know," and his voice was low, silky in a way she recognized, "we could be doing something more enjoyable."

"I thought this _was_ enjoyable," she teased gently. "Though I must admit missing the sunrise…"

He snorted with laughter, and leaned in to kiss her. She reached up at almost the same moment, arms twining around his neck.

It was long, slow and sweet, the kind that could—and often did—steal breath away, and make hearts pound. It was the one reserved for Claire and Claire alone, the one who had wormed his way into his heart by being herself, instead of what she thought he wanted her to be.

"You know," he murmured, looking down into her flushed face once they separated, "there's better places for this than by the window.."

"Where everyone could get a good view," and she grinned a little impishly.

For a split second his eyes went wide at her, before she burst out laughing. For _that_ she got thrown over his shoulder—note exactly the easiest feat in the world thanks to their similarity in height and weight. He cheated and used a bit of magic to help him—and _tossed_ onto the fluffy bed, then jumped on after her.

Claire squeaked a little but the bed gave with her weight, so her breath was only slightly knocked out. This lasted until Skye 'pounced' on her, being careful to actually land a little to her side—they'd had many false starts in the past when their play had inadvertently reminded her of some of the things Damien had pulled—and gave her a mock-scowl.

"I know I said be yourself," he huffed lightly, "but where in that did I ask you to shred what little dignity I had up here?"

She grinned up at him.

"You never said I _couldn't_," she pointed out.

He paused to think about this, giving her ample time to retake the advantage. This time it was Claire who pounced, half tackling him. The landed with her on top, straddling her husband with a smirking grin. It was a good thing the bed was large, at home they would've had to be a touch more careful so that they didn't fall onto the floor at some point.

Which _had_ happened, and ruined moment upon moment. Even with a cushion of rug, the floor was _not_ a comfortable place to land.

The continued to play-wrestle for a little bit; in truth this _was_ their foreplay. Teasing, laughing, poking and prodding, until one got the total advantage over the other, the spot on top.

Skye won this at last, Claire conceding defeat when he tickled her into submission too breathless to argue. Their lips met again, briefly, before Skye shifted, sliding his mouth along her jaw line and down the side of her neck. While not a sweet spot, this was one of the more sensitive ones he'd found in the past years, enough to draw forth a swift intake of breath.

Of course that could be left over from the fact that she was trying to catch her breath, but _still_.

His hands slipped under the light cotton fabric of her pajama top, careful not to tickle so much as caress this time. Not to say that her hands were idle, as they slid through his hair and across his shoulders. In all but the dead of winter he slept shirtless, a faint, genuine blessing for the both of them.

He nipped lightly at the place where neck and shoulder met, and was rewarded with a light gasp that had nothing to do with regaining lost breath. He looked up briefly, enjoying the way Claire's face was flushed a light pink, blue eyes hazy as she looked down at almost the same moment.

Skye ran his tongue lightly over her collarbone, smiling slightly as she shivered under his knowing touch. The smirk lasted until she lightly ran the tips of her fingers up his spine, with just enough pressure to be felt. Now it was _his_ turn to shiver, pressing his mouth to her neck as he did so.

His slim fingers unfastened the buttons that held Claire's top closed as she leaned upwards slightly, which moved his mouth from her neck to the empty air, and she returned the favor. Only she _knew_ a weak spot for him, and held no remorse in using it.

Lightly she ran her tongue over his earlobe, grinning inwardly when his hands twitched lightly as a full shiver passed through him. She released him only briefly to work the rest of the way out of her top—she preferred long sleeves in all but summer, and button-down shirts were _comfortable_.

The tide shifted once more as the shirt was tossed rather unceremoniously off the bed, and before the blonde really had any time to brace herself, Skye had slipped from her head, to her neck again, then down across her chest, making her arc a little under his ministrations.

In that instant, all she could do was ran her fingers through his bright silver hair and admire the color through the haze of pleasure he was giving her.

The next thing to go were both pairs of pajama pants, which somehow got them into play wrestling again, limbs tangling as they did so, causing pleasure to shiver through the both of them.

Skye closed his eyes briefly, letting his thoughts drift from the moment at hand to the moment sixteen years before. Quite a bit different, her nerves had given her away then, and he'd patiently had to teach her most of the tricks she was using now. But then, given who had initially tried to take her…

She gave a light nip to his neck, snapping his attention back to her and their current surroundings. There was an almost-frown on her face, and he smiled a little sheepishly. Claire just shook her head lightly, and pulled his head down, her mouth brushing lightly over his forehead first, then their lips met again.

As he slid into her—eliciting a soft whimper of pleasure—the tip of his tongue lightly darted around hers teasingly, as if to say 'catch me, my love.' Which she set about doing, even as they started rocking together, heading for the heights of pleasure.

Claire let out a gasp as her climax swept over her, muscles going tense and tight. It brought Skye over the edge as well, and he buried his face in her hair, holding her as tight as he dared.

Several minutes passed, the silence broken only by the gasping of the pair on the bed. Claire's head rested on her husband's shoulder, eyes closed, her face a mask of bliss. Slowly, Skye loosened his hold on her, rolling them both to the side so that he didn't inadvertently squish her.

For all they were similar in weight it was oddly easier to have her on top of him than the other way around.

She shifted slightly herself, pressing her back to his chest and let out a very contented sigh. He let out a faint, weary chuckle, and let his head drop into a sea of gold.

* * *

Claire let out a faintly pleased sigh as she stood under the shower. Being able to stand on her own two feet and not be knocked down by the—relatively minor—force of the falling water was better than she'd been able to manage for most of the week.

Maybe there _was_ something to that over-sweet food they'd finally been allowed to quit eating. She'd been looking forward to actual food for a while now, almost wishing that she could go shanghai the kitchen for herself.

At least up until she recalled that cooking was not her strong suit. Then she just wanted to raid the kitchen.

All the girls were in the bathroom, cleaning up for the funeral. Mirei and Meredith were in the bathtub, splashing water at each other and giggling. Lauren was soaping herself down in preparation for joining the girls in the tub, leaving the shower to her mother.

* * *

The males, being less numerous, had gotten their turn first and were already dressing. The color of the day—since Claire had impressed upon them that it would be a good idea to be respectful at a funeral—was the color that was traditional for a funeral, which was a whole lot of white.

"We're all gonna look like ghosts!" Alan grinned. "Wonder if we can make Meri jump?"

Jamie reached out and whacked his younger brother lightly on the head, beating even Skye's frown.

"Mom would kill you," the silver-haired teen said. "If Lauren didn't get you first."

Alan thought about this, as Skye tried not to smile. Claire's punishments were straightforward, but Lauren always came up with something tricky to throw everyone off-stride. Not to mention that outside of her mother Lauren adored the baby of the family the best.

"Rats," the boy muttered. "No fair."

"Scaring your little sister wouldn't be very fair either," Skye replied, just sharply enough to make the boy wince. "She's only four after all."

The green eyed boy sighed and scuffed the floor with one white shoe, mentally if not vocally admitting that his dad made a point.

Twenty minutes later, washed, dried and dressed, the girls left the bathroom, a haze of gauze and silk in various shades of cream and white made _them_ look more ghost-like than the boys. Alan just about jumped a foot, making his brother snicker.

"So, what's supposed to happen?" Claire asked quietly, her hair tightly braided and tied off with a white ribbon.

"Speeches," Skye nodded slightly. "From Mother, Yuki and Daisuke. Then a bit of music, followed by everyone getting a chance to view him. After that Mother will cast the spell that will return his body to the earth and then we'll be allowed to eat the death feast."

"Sounds morbid," Lauren commented, adjusting the fall of her ponytail. "No offense Dad."

"None taken," he chuckled. "No worries. Now come, we should get moving."

* * *

It was… the best word that came to mind was 'statuesque.' Tall marble pillars were draped in white silk and gauze, Moon Flowers—any white flower that glowed was designated a 'Moon' flower, so while there were roses there were also lilies, daisies, snowdrops and many numerous other types of white flower—surrounded almost every corner of the room.

If Claire didn't know any better she'd say the place had the look and feel of one of the ancient temples back on Earth. Except for the fact that the roof was missing and all that.

As wife-and-family to the 'heir-apparent'—Claire couldn't _wait_ to see the faces when Daisuke got up to speak instead of Skye—they were allowed to sit on one of the cushioned stone benches, second row from the front. Since from the third row back the stone appeared to be straight marble, Claire couldn't help but have a silent moment of thanks.

The cushioning was a little like the could carriage that had taken them to Skye's waterfall area only a few days before, and despite her whispered warning—there was something about the tension in the air that set her nerves humming—the younger three couldn't help but make it bounce slightly.

After a quiet conversation, they settled down near the aisle, Skye on the outside the kids between them. Claire ignored the PoM's haughtily pleased looks, knowing that the only reason the kids were between was because they needed more protection than she did. True, Lauren and Jamie could look after themselves, but the younger ones were always the most vulnerable.

Which was why Meredith was curled in her lap, quite contentedly, and the older twins had hold of the younger ones. Had it been anything less than a mother's order, it was very likely that none of them would have gone along with it, but if there was something they'd all learned it was that Claire never asked for anything without reason. Even if it didn't seem too obvious, she was trusted.

Many more courtiers filtered in, filling the open aired temple with a sea of silver and white. Jamie nudged his twin.

"Jeez… you and Mom look pretty out of place."

Lauren resisted—barely—the urge to smack him, reminding herself that it was a funeral and she didn't want to get into trouble with her mother. The tension in the air was getting to her as well, and it didn't help that she didn't look like her brother.

"Tell me something I _don't_ know jackass," she shot back, just loud enough for him to hear. "Way to rub it in…"

Jamie blinked, blue eyes going wide in surprise. True he always stood out, but he hadn't been thinking about it in those terms. It was more like turnabout for all the times she'd teased him! The panicked, apologetic look cooled Lauren's temper considerably, and she let off the faintest of annoyed sighs. Then, relenting, she lightly thumped her twin in the shoulder, all the punishment she could give him at the moment.

Finally the royalty drifted in, taking the bench in front of Skye and his family. Queen Tsukiko, resplendent in pure white and silver drifted down the aisle graciously nodding her head as her court whispered words of sympathy.

Claire had to bite the inside of her cheek to resist saying something that would get her in trouble. While it was _likely_ that most of them didn't understand such a thing as grief or genuine sympathy, saying as much wouldn't be the best way to go.

Especially considering her husband was one of them, and her children were half. It wasn't hard to feel alone in this crowd.

Skye reached around the twins, and lightly tugged her braid. She twitched, reached out to smack at his hand, then paused and smiled faintly, instead lacing her fingers with his.

Alone in blood maybe, but never alone in spirit.

* * *

The whispers of surprise when Daisuke had stepped up to the platform instead of Skye were uncertainty mixed with confusion, and even a tiny bit of outrage. The fact that he sat there, flaunting his mortal wife and half-breed children was almost too much to bear.

But doing it in such a crowded venue would blow all plausible deniability to shreds. Not to mention what would happen after… If the blow wasn't clean—and there were many people between the intended target—then the healers would undo all the damage and it would have been for naught. There would still be a living problem and then there would be none left to take care of it.

* * *

The music, Claire discovered, was unlike anything she'd ever heard, and thanks in part to her friendship with Nami and Gustafa, she'd heard quite a bit of strange music. It was… eerie, to say the least. Of all the stringed instruments, the only thing she recognized was a violin. There were several flutes as well, all of them soaring and intertwining around each other in a way that made her think of the rushing winds of the storms at home.

In unison, Claire and her children shuddered. Skye just squeezed her hand lightly, having forgotten the effect of the music himself.

Thankfully it wasn't a long section, the way the speeches had been, and in almost no time the People were lining up to get one last glimpse of the king who had led them for well over three hundred years.

They waited until almost everyone had gotten to see King Yasuo before joining the tail end of the line. Skye's farewell wasn't as private as he'd hoped, but it was a farewell at least, as well as a passing wonder if perhaps his father would have been as disappointed in him as his mother for choosing Claire over Hikari.

Claire didn't intend to give the former king more than just a passing glance, but she couldn't prevent her blue eyes from widening any more than she could keep the color from fleeing her face.

She forced herself back towards calmness, even as her hands clenched tightly in the fabric of her clothes. Surely it couldn't have been him. That face was so similar to the others, fine boned and almost feminine in delicacy… No, it _couldn't_ have been the face of the man she'd been killing in her dreams.

Could it?

For once, Skye didn't notice the troubled look on his wife's face as she studied the king closer now. A scar along his temple, lines across his brow… a crescent shaped scar on the back of his left hand.

It took a great deal of control to not grab Skye and demand they leave. By which she meant return to Earth and their home and _never_ come back, and damned to _hell_ what the council wanted.

Several deep breaths, and a couple of retreating steps later, Claire was able to get a grip on herself. Since the kids had elected to stay on the bench, the were probably the only ones to see Claire's reaction beyond Toshihiro, Akio, and Kaemon.

The elder twins exchanged worried looks, released the younger pair, and got up, going over to their mother. She reacted strongly to death, but _never_ like that, and to the death of a complete stranger too. It was… unnerving.

But by the time they reached her she had her control back and she gave them gentle smiles.

"We'll give you father a few more minutes," she said softly. "Then we can get something to eat."

Jamie and Lauren thought various unkind things about her way of hiding important things from them, and it was all the green-eyed teen could do to keep herself from kicking her father to get _him_ to ask what the problem was.

* * *

Claire didn't linger at the feast, but she let everyone else, turning away Skye's offer to take her back, saying that she needed to walk more than sit in a room.

Once freed she tossed off most of the gauze, leaving it with the pillars, and moved down the path of roses, trying to keep her head down. Sure, it was hard considering her hair color, but she really didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment while she tried to sort things out.

So she walked until she couldn't hear the quiet talk, the clatter of dishes, couldn't smell the food, and most importantly, couldn't see the bier that held King Yasuo. She passed People occasionally. Some gave her appraising stares, others glared, and still others ignored her.

It wasn't until she'd walked for about half an hour that she finally found a place alone, away from all of them. Unfortunately, it was the same place she'd found her first day out, the place where Yasuo had been killed.

She reached out and rested her hands on the blood-stained stone. Soaked blood never really disappeared, she had learned this after sixteen years of farming. Even though it might seem too, there would always be a tinge where it was loosed.

"What's _happening_ to me…?" she wondered, looking at her reflection in the fountain. "Was Win _right?_ Am I really have dreams of the future? But… why? I'm outside the influence here, what can _I_ do?"

* * *

Alone and vulnerable. What a perfect opportunity. Walking so far from the funeral party made the fool mortal a perfect target.

A blade began slipping clear from its sheathe, then was snapped back in with a silent curse as Kaemon approached the unhappy blonde. _Again_ it would have to wait. Perhaps calling in the other woman would be necessary after all.

* * *

"Are you feeling alright Lady Claire?"

Claire jumped about a foot, nearly landing in the fountain due to her abject surprise. She opened her mouth to snap at the person who had followed her, then let out a tired sigh when she saw it was Kaemon, one of the few she _didn't_ feel like alienating.

"You'd think I'd be able to _hear_ when people sneak up on me," she complained instead, propping her hands on her hips. "First Skye, then Tenshi, now _you!_ Jeez…"

Kaemon stifled a chuckle—he had, as he usually did, forgone the wearing of his robes—and gave her a slight bow.

"My apologies. You seemed distressed earlier… was the funeral so unnerving?"

"Oh, no… well, maybe a little. The music wasn't what I was used to."

Claire found herself at a loss. Kaemon had noticed what her husband had missed, but while she _wanted_ to trust him, there was that voice in the back of her mind that made her keep her next words to herself. Blame it on the music, that would work.

"What sort of music do you normally have?" Kaemon sat on the lip of the fountain, seemingly unconcerned about the stains upon it.

"Well.. that depends on who did the arranging but at home we usually sing their favorite song as a last farewell."

"What would you sing?"

Blue eyes blinked, and Claire started blankly for a minute.

"Why are you asking me?" she finally said. "I would think that as his son you would know better than I what to sing."

"But I don't," and Kaemon's smile was crooked. "My father, believe it or don't, was always looking out for So—Skye and Daisuke. Sometimes to the negligence of the rest of us. Oh it's not to say that he didn't _care_ for the rest of us, but it was never quite to the same magnitude."

And Claire listened quietly as Kaemon told her about King Yasuo. How he had pushed both the elder sons towards perfection because to be King _required_ perfection. It had been partially that which had caused Skye to turn towards the Earth in search of what he couldn't find on the Moon.

"Even within the robes, things can sometimes be felt," his voice was quiet; she knew he was telling her a well-kept secret. "I still feel strong emotions, like the love for my wife and daughter, though I must admit they are much dimmed. And I tell you this because I know that look in your eyes, it is similar to the one my Akahari gives me."

For a moment she too saw a familiar look, in the dreamy bemused smile Kaemon had. It reminded her of her first few years married to Skye, when had had continued to wonder over the fact that she not only loved him, but had married him.

"Skye did not leave just because of our father," his sudden speech made her jump again, "but because this is the wrong type of life-style for him, and he had no way to adapt to it without breaking something very fundamental in his spirit. So instead a wanderlust hit him, and he wheedled his way down to Earth.

"I believe from the very beginning that he had no intention of ever returning," Kaemon's voice was serious enough that Claire couldn't help but believe him. "It just took him this long to find someone who suited him better than any ever could."

She blushed, flapping a hand at him in embarrassment.

"You find it hard to believe?"

"Well, sometimes," she leaned back slightly, hands resting on the stone lip. "I guess. The looks your fancy couriers keep throwing me aren't exactly the most helpful of things in building up a girl's self-esteem after all."

"You are more obviously opinionated." He retorted, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "As it my eldest brother after so many years of being allowed to have his own sort of control."

Claire's brow furrowed as she thought about this, trying to decide whether she should be taking offense over it, or if it was actually a backwards compliment.

"I thought you had control," she replied, tilting her head fractionally to the side. "As far as I've noticed those robes of yours are perfect control in teeny form."

"But there's always a downside. You've seen the difference between Eldest sister Yukiko and Youngest Sister Hoshiko, correct? Or even the difference between Elder Brother Akio and Youngest Brother Yue."

She didn't even _have_ to think about that one, the chosen pairs were as different from each other as night was from day. Akio was serious, even without his robes, very strategical and statistical. He'd dropped by for a short while and had thoroughly defeated her at several games of chess when she'd been laid up. And Yukiko… biddable was the first thing that came to Claire's mind when she thought about her. _Too_ biddable. Their younger counterparts were exuberant with life, ready to live it, and take what was given.

"The robes cause this. The disconnection of who and what we could truly be."

"If you dislike them so much, why wear them at all?"

"Because in certain earlier time periods without them our People would have crumbled to dust."

The reply was so matter-of-fact that it took Claire a minute to process. Idly in the back of her mind she found herself admiring how quick the conversation changed, and how she'd like it to change again so that she didn't have to answer anything too uncomfortable.

"I…. have no words," she admitted at last with a shrug. "Beyond rather impressed swearing, and I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't go over to well around here."

Kaemon chuckled.

* * *

"Skye," and Claire propped a hand on her hip in annoyance. "For the love of the gods, _why_ are you sulking about this? It was a _conversation_. Nothing more. He's got a wife and daughter of his _own_ for goodness sake."

The answer of 'but it wasn't a conversation with _me_,' would have gotten him smacked. Hard. So he just huffed and continued to sulk, which was also in danger of getting him smacked.

Actually it _did_ get him smacked, on the back of the head, and it made the Prince-turned-thief-turned-farmer rather glad that the children were sleeping and couldn't see this.

"He gave me an impromptu history lesson you dork," she sighed, when even that failed to make him stop sulking. "And if you don't knock it off I'm going to go find someone else to hang out with for a while."

_That_ got his attention, and he spun in place, staring at her in surprise. It was clear from her expression that she was more than ready to get some sleep, and would stubbornly stint herself if he didn't shape up. After a long minute Skye sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm… sorry," he grimaced slightly, sea-green eyes flicking down at the floor then back across the room to meet annoyed blue. "I guess it is a little stupid to be jealous of a younger sibling."

Some of the exasperation melted away into amusement.

"Eh…" and she shrugged one shoulder wryly. "At least you all had separate rooms. I had to bunk with my sister. You want chaos, _that_ was chaos. At least according to Mom and Dad.

"Now are you gonna go to bed, or am I going to have to smack you again?"

He chucked slightly, and reached out to lightly stroke her cheek.

* * *

_I should probably tell him the truth… but I still wonder why _I_ dreamed the death? Am I supposed to solve this mess in some manner?_

_…I hope not. I wouldn't know the first place to begin. I handle life, not… buh, just thinking about that blade gives me the shivers. Please no dreams tonight. I don't need them now._


	25. August 5, Summer, Year 36

**August 5, Summer, year 36**

Obon is a new one for me. Apparently we're supposed to do nothing, in remembrance of the dead. Seems… dreary, to say the least. At least at home with festivals for the dead there's bright colors, or _something_. Lots of talking at least, because that's how so many of us deal with the pain, by sharing it out amongst ourselves.

But no, apparently they all but sequester themselves in their quarters to… I'm not even certain I understand, and it's been less than two weeks since Skye's father was made into ashes, so I don't know who it's safe to ask either.

Skye… is being odd. He's shifting between his usual self and being overly-possessive. I've actually had to hit him hard enough to make him step back so that I could get some space! I'm a little worried…. Okay, _really _worried.

I wonder if it's a side effect of having to be here and play King until he can officially hand the duties over? I keep trying to ask him, but the jackass keeps brushing it off as though it's _nothing!_

It's not _nothing_ when I get hugged hard enough to actually bruise. Apologies or not, that _hurt!_

I guess on the plus side, Obon means I can catch up on my writing. Though admittedly, not much has happened. While not exactly on best behavior, none of us have stirred up any troubles deliberately.

Ah! I just learned that there's going to be dancing later! Maybe _this_ will cheer Skye up! He likes dancing almost as much as I do, and _he_ doesn't pop at the joints!

Not that I do, yet, but I don't have the same stamina I had at twenty. But that's still several hours from now, so I still have plenty of time to write.

I… Well, I haven't been dreaming of death, but that damned knife still hovers there at the outset of most of them. It's _waiting_ now, I can tell. Waiting for something or maybe someone? I'm not sure it's for a new victim, but maybe for help. I know that _I_ certainly don't want to touch it ever, in dreams or in life.

I think though, there might actually _be_ some of those blades around here. I might have been hysterical—and gods all _stupid_—after the dream where I was the murdered instead of the murder_er_, but I'm not blind. Skye recognized the description of the knife. He didn't seem happy that I was describing it in such clear detail.

I find myself wondering how many secrets we're keeping from each other, even by omission? One part of me wants t have a good long talk to clear the air—hell, even a _fight_ would be more welcome than this current state of affairs—but the other part of me wonders if I should mention anything at all. I don't want to add to his stress.

Even if other things are called off, court is still in session after all. Bah, I think if it's a holiday it should be a damn _holiday_, and let everyone off the hook who can get it.

…As Alan and Mirei knock over their block fort. Silly kiddos, they did that on purpose. I think they're playing with some of the other dolls in a game of 'take the castle' or something similar. Jamie is reading, he actually found a book that's in our language, and Lauren's drawing. Meri's… oh, I see her now. She built a tiny blanket fort between the beds and is playing with Hoshi. Hehe. She apparently escaped her keepers and came to play, and who am I to naysay a cutie like her? Besides, Meri needs someone her size to play with, there's only so many times I can tell Mirei or Alan to play with her before they all start getting grumpy.

Sometimes I wish I'd been a little more… restrained in starting this family. Ah well, too late to do anything about it now. Besides, big families are fun, even if there's something of a lack of privacy. I've been thinking of adding a second floor to the house so that the kids can have their own rooms. I know Lauren would like it, getting the ground floor room to herself. Especially now that it's bigger.

It's going to take a lot of work, since I have no idea how much damage summer and winter storms are and will do to the farm. Maybe I should have told Jamie and Lauren to stay behind, let them run the farm in my absence? On the other hand, having them here now means that I'm not worrying about them and what they might be getting up to while I'm gone.

Ah, a mother's worries. Yet again I wonder if Mom ever felt this way when she let me go haring off on my own? I mean there's not too much trouble possible in the Valley, but there's usually enough to be created. The disaster of the Egg Festival certainly proves that. And to Ming City… how did she feel when I started going there, I wonder.

Oh, Miharu's been keeping her promise. Every third day we meet and I get lessons both in healing and in the language of the PoM. Language learning is going slow, but…

Well, I guess being around magic all my life has been good for something. I'm pretty much absorbing everything she can teach me like water. I _like_ it! I can see why Trent, Elli and Hardy all got into this medicine thing.

Not that I'm allowed to do anything, in truth we're just going over theories and medical related texts. She's been explaining that just because the power is there doesn't mean it's controlled or even controllable, so I shouldn't get depressed if I can't actually heal anything by the end of next month.

I think she's being generous, I doubt I'll be good enough until almost all the time we're supposed to spend here has passed, if then. Aptitude I may have, but natural talent… that's another story entirely.

No, I'm not complaining, I'm used to this actually. I'd _like_ to be able to heal, but my more rational self tells me that it's not going to be as easy as all that. If wishes were fishes and so on…

Ironic that Skye's birthday is five days past Obon. Can't kick him out of the kitchen to attempt to cook that damn curry—which I'm actually good at now—bake a birthday cake, or even find him a present from the odds and ends at Uncle Carter's dig sites. I don't really know _what_ I'm going to do.

If were we at home I could cheerfully toss the kids out to friends and family and make it _our_ night. Like our anniversary. Here I don't dare. Though I guess it doesn't matter considering, they never seem to hear the ah… 'bedroom activities' from this room as it is.

At least as far as I know. And I'm fairly certain that I'm not going to ask, and if I did, they wouldn't answer. Ever. If that's not embarrassing, I don't know exactly what is.

Mmm… my thoughts keep circling. Not so much on the knife but on who of Skye's family I can trust. Kaemon… I think he's a definite, he'd make a good friend. He reminds me a little bit of Lauren, just more reserved. I don't even notice the arm or limp to be honest. I embarrassed myself this way the other day by holding out my left hand. Felt like a proper idiot I did, but he just smiled. I think he was… pleased that I'd forgotten.

I'm not to sure with the girls. Hoshi is too young, and both Hotaru and Yukiko seem so… easily swayed by anything their mother might say. Hotaru's nice and all; I know she kinda likes me, but she's like her older sister, too easy to lead around by the hand.

Skye keeps telling me that Yukiko comes up with some of the best delayed traps ever, but I haven't seen anything yet. I find it hard to believe that she's got the guts to do that when sometimes she seems to lack all spine in general.

Well, okay, not _spine_, but… I don't know. She's _passive_. It's annoying. Not when the robes are off, but when they're on she just goes along with the highest authority figure in the room.

Hotaru's mostly just quiet. I like her a bit, she's sweet but she's also pretty passive. On her though I think it's an act, I keep hearing how she goes missing for _hours_ at a time.

Good for her.

The boys…. Well, I've already covered Kaemon. I want to trust him, but I'm still not sure.

Daisuke… actually, he surprises me. Since Kaemon talked to me about how Yasuo required perfection from those two, I was expecting someone who might look down on Skye for giving up the throne, but instead, now that things are moving he seems pleased.

Oh sure he's not happy that Skye has to play _temporary_ king, but he was here all those years Skye wasn't, so naturally he as a greater love for his people. And apparently he vehemently opposes the wearing of the robes. That was amusing, hearing that debate for hours the other day.

Akio… is a little unnerving, to be honest. Not creepy, and I lay the blame at the feet of his military training. He has a way of staring that makes you wonder if you've got something on your face. He actually gets embarrassed when it's mentioned though, which is cute. Apparently he's married as well, to a Princess… H… Oh! Haruka! That's right. No kids for him though.

I wonder why he's still here at Tranquility palace? I thought… oh right, his 'Father' isn't ready to give up his throne yet, mostly because Akio hasn't produced any heirs. They blame _that_ on his military fixation too…

I almost feel sorry for the guy. He's good with this stuff, but it's absorbed so much of his life that he's neglected the rest of it.

Toshihiro…. He's a ball to mess with. He's made it quite clear that he dislikes Skye and actually wonders about _my_ sanity. We trade barbs. It's fun! More so than messing with the Queen who just sticks with her comments about my inferiority. I think she's realized that she's not going to be able to force the issue with Skye until I die.

Smart woman. It only took her half a month…

Yue's just a kid… like Hoshi. Kids are easy to trust, they're pretty straightforward in everything. Then again I might just be blessed with good luck in the regard, my kids are all honest. For the most part anyways. Lying by omission has happened a couple of times, but it usually isn't for anything big. Not that I would tell any other the little ones some of the secrets I've had, they _are_ children, prone to blurting things out at the most inopportune times.

Hah… I can't talk, I have const—

Ah, Skye's back. Says we should hurry if we want to catch the dancing!


	26. August 10, Summer, Year 36

**August 10, Summer, year 36**

_A… feast. Well, I guess that means I don't have to try and figure out what to cook. We're apparently going back to his glade again before then too. Good, he could stand the chance to relax._

_It'll be just us at the glade, more the better. Maybe I can massage the stress out of him._

_

* * *

_

At Skye's request, Kaemon had agreed to watch the younger trio, with Hotaru keeping an eye on the older pair. And it hadn't taken much convincing from either himself or Claire for all but the youngest, but Hotaru's promise that Hoshiko would be there to play with made Meredith choke down her wails and agree to give Mommy and Daddy some quiet time.

Claire almost asked him if he wanted her to come along or if he wanted to be alone, but with the grip he had on her hand the only way she was going to free herself was if she hit him over the head and caused some form of blunt trauma.

Only when they were in the cloud carriage did she finally manage to get her hand back and she didn't bother trying to conceal the wince as she attempted to massage life back into her fingers.

He _did_ notice, his face creasing into an unhappy frown. She understood well enough that he didn't mean to hurt her, but this new side to Skye was really starting to get on her nerves. And as he'd learned, when provoked, she hit back.

"Want to tell me what's on your mind?" her voice was mild enough to actually cut. Oh no, she was _not_ pleased with his actions. "Or would you rather cause several more nights of lost sleep with my trying to puzzle out why you're starting to remind me of someone I'd rather forget."

A low blow, but an accurate one. Skye winced, and ran a hand through his hair. The silence was long and extended when she gave him no helpful opening.

"I'm not _good_ at this," he finally sighed, a statement she was used to. "Where do I even begin?"

"The beginning?" Claire said, smile razor sharp. "I must admit it's nice to be where we can't be heard so if you have to say something at the top of your lungs all you'll do is scare a few animals."

"Somehow my dear, I think you'll be doing more of the shouting."

He was rewarded with something he hadn't heard in a couple of days. Her laughter.

"True, true," and though there was mirth in her voice, underneath it was the simmering worry, hurt and anger that made her watch him closely. "Would you like me to point out things I've noticed?"

He gave her a sideways glance, and reached up to rub the back of is neck.

"How much trouble _am_ I in?"

"Bruises," she said flatly. "When is the last time you actually gave me those?"

He turned so pale he looked to be made of the clouds themselves. Claire blinked several times in the silence.

He hadn't _noticed?!_ How in the nine hells was that even _possible?_ Indignation started to rise, adding color to her cheeks, but the temper was cut short when Skye did something she'd seen only rarely.

He actually started to cry. Anger turned to concern in a split second as he looked down at his lap and _only_ his lap, letting the tears fall unchecked.

Claire was stumped, to say the least. Maybe he hadn't realized because he had been so stressed. And her jumping the gun with such a comment… She just reached out, and pulled him to her, his head landing on her shoulders.

"Shhhh," she soothed gently. "It's alright…"

He was doing his active best to stay in control. But the shock still rang through him. Bruises. He had given her _bruises_. By not paying attention to what he was doing, letting the stresses of the court get to him—and how quickly the had for that matter—he had inadvertently hurt the dearest person in his life.

And here she was trying to tell him that it was _okay_. _Holding_ him and letting him cry. Sometimes life really was a strange and confusing thing.

* * *

The tears were drying up as they landed, and this time it really _did_ take only ten minutes from where they were dropped to reach the clearing and the waterfall. Claire supported Skye the whole way, seeing at last what Kaemon had meant by his statement at Yasuo's funeral.

Skye wasn't made for the type of back-biting, simpering, rich life that these people were throwing at his feet and forcing him to live. Not if they were turning her kind, playful, sometimes-an-idiot-husband into a… mess like this.

A blanket had already been spread, and there was a picnic basket nearby courtesy—she assumed—of Hotaru and Kaemon. She just pushed Skye gently down on to the blanket so that he was lying on his stomach, and started to run callused, experienced fingers along his shoulders, working at the tense muscles and knots all along his back.

As she did so, he began to talk. About the pressure, about the requests that were barely veiled demands for moremore_more_ from many of the courtiers, the side comments his mother made that were commands more than gently persuasive comments, the fact that Toshihiro seemed to hate him beyond reason, that Akio wasn't getting any headway in finding out who killed their father and people were starting to blame _him_… it all spilled out.

Finally, the last of the words trickled away into silence, and her hands stopped moving. Skye continued to lay there and let out a long, clearly relieved sigh.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I should have been more aware of what I was doing. But between my mother suggesting this Lady or that one for a marriage after…"

His voice caught, and her own heart jumped into her throat. Rather than say anything, she just stretched herself out on his back, loosely draping her arms around his neck.

"Mother doesn't understand," he said finally, a little breathlessly. "And on the one hand I do… realize why she says it. But she still doesn't understand. If there's a time after you… I don't think I want anyone else."

Now it was Claire's turn to sigh softly.

"Don't do that to yourself," she said gently, chin resting on his shoulder, mouth next to his ear. "Don't get lost in the memory of what I was because you're not ready to take another step forward. And don't lose to a memory when I'm still standing right next to you… or," and her lips curved slightly, "on top of you."

"…I could change that."

She chuckled low and quiet, but it was sad. That had been delivered without any of his usual panache and even his tone was half-hearted at best.

"No, not at this moment," she whispered at last. "But I don't want to be a burden…"

His head turned so that they were at least partially eye-locked. The intensity in his sea-green eyes was almost startling.

"Never," he said softly, reaching one hand up and back to lightly cup her cheek. "You're _never_ that. You came to help me, and you are love, you are. You and the children are a rock I can cling to when things get to be difficult. Just _watching_ our miracles eases my heart and mind, and your willingness to drop everything and come… even with such a duty as the farm…"

There were no words to properly describe everything that Skye wanted to say. How she had dropped everything in a second to come with him, even after such fear-filled nights, how she continued to go about and ignore what the conventional People were whispering behind her back and to her face… Instead he twisted slightly, slid an arm around her waist and pulled her carefully down beside him.

She rolled with the move, landing on her back with a slight 'whuff' of expelled breath,, and automatically reached up to pull her braid out from behind her back. Lying on hair, especially long hair, was uncomfortable.

Skye's arm remained curved along her stomach, though she knew it couldn't be a comfortable position. Yet he showed no signs of wanting to move, or wanting _her_ to move. So the silence stretched for a good long time. Long enough that the usual animals started to creep back out to return to whatever they'd been doing before Skye and Claire had invaded their space.

"Bruises…?"

The word was so quiet that Claire almost missed it.

"Yeah," her voice was quiet. "There was a _reason_ I was thumping you to get out of hugs in case you hadn't noticed. I probably left a few of my own, didn't I?"

There was a touch of chagrin in her voice, and he looked over at her with a faint, clearly not happy, smile.

"No more than I deserved," he sighed softly, running his other hand through his hair in an attempt to push it out of his face. "I didn't think court would make it happen this quickly though…."

"Question."

"Mm?"

"Can't you… turn more than half of it over to Dai? Why should you play their puppet when he's trained for it, and actually _wants_ to do it? You're going to turn everything over to him _anyways…_"

The question was reasonable. Skye turned it over in his mind as Claire used the tail end of her braid to languidly play with a couple of the flying cats.

"That's… a good point," he said at last. "It might take some doing, but I might be able to make it work… I _do_ get a request since it's my birthday. It would probably put Dai in more charity with me as well."

"Oh he likes you," Claire said absently, trying not to giggle as one kitten stalked her braid. "It's _Toshi_ who loathes you for no real reason that anyone can come up with. Dai thinks that since you're giving him what he's trained for, you're the greatest thing since sliced bread."

The image made Skye chuckle, and a smile spread across Claire's face.

"You know, that's the first real laugh I've heard out of you in the past week," she teased gently, wincing a little as the kitten grabbed and tugged. "So _broody_ lately…"

"Like you when you were pregnant?"

She didn't even hesitate, swatting him lightly upside the head. He ducked, smiled, and rested his head on her arm, intending to only be there for a brief moment. She apparently had other ideas.

This time it was _Claire's_ arm that snaked around his shoulders, and gave a firm pull, landing his head on her chest, between her breast. Her arm then slid up, lightly cradling his head while her other arm came around and her fingers started to run through his hair. He blinked for several seconds, then relaxed, closing his eyes and breathing in the smell of his wife.

It was the scent of the farm. Earth, vegetables, grass, sunshine, animals, and hard work. Overlaying it was the smell of roses, the flowers that she grew with love and care, that she planted meticulously every six and a half years alongside several normal roses, an intermingling of the Moon and the Earth.

Just like them.

He didn't cry this time, just let out several long sighs and drew closer to her. His ballast, his center, his other half. And after several long moments of silence, she started to sing very softly.

He felt the notes as much as he heard them, pressed up against her chest as he was. The songs were familiar, music that she loved and enjoyed habitually while out working. Some of them he even could sing along with, if he so chose. Soon enough, soft tenor mixed with delicate soprano, creating a magic that was entirely mystic free.

It was like this that the messenger bird found them, adding a soft trill of its own to get Skye's attention. He was reluctant to leave the sanctuary of his wife's voice and arms, but when the trill repeated, louder and more demanding, he did.

"Alright songbird," he sighed, sitting up and holding out his hand. "What news have you that needs my… _our_ attention."

Claire, propping herself up on her elbows, smiled at the change in pronouns. She might not have been queen—certainly didn't _want_ to be queen—but they were connected enough that the 'our' was deeply appreciated.

Skye plucked at the tiny ribbon around the bird's neck, freeing the message crystal, which landed on Claire's overall-clad stomach, releasing it's message.

Again in the language she couldn't understand. Annoyance wrote itself clearly across her faces as Queen Tsukiko spoke to her son. He too made a face, and swept the crystal away into the water of the pool before it had finished.

"Gist?"

"It's almost time for the feast so she wishes us to return. She also makes mention that several available women will be there and wishes my opinion upon them."

Which explained why he flung the crystal away. The blonde sighed, and shook her head lightly.

"I guess we should be getting back then?" it was clear she didn't relish the thought, even though it would reunite them with their children.

"One moment…" and there was a faintly mischievous smile on Skye's face. "I have a little bit of devised entertainment all my own."

It didn't take her more than a moment to figure out what she meant, and even as she laughed, he was leaning in to kiss her.

* * *

They were a few minutes late to the public feasting, which was really little more than gift-giving and entertainment done by the nobles, with a few plates of food to tide off hunger. Skye had dressed suiting his rank, as had his children and his wife. A rare concession, brought on by the comment that certain blue gauzes combined with one pink and gold outfit suited her quite nicely.

The gifts were… standard but the People's standard. Everyone was attempting to one-up one another, from complex weavings in fabrics that glowed, to plants that actually bloomed jewels.

None among them noticed that each of Skye's children carried a musical instrument, or that Claire's outfit was less designed for looking pretty than for being impressive with dancing. She had decided in lieu of being able to make him his favorite foods, she would gift him with a dance, and show these People that she could do something impressive that took more effort than their frippery and trinkets.

At last with the gifts given, Queen Tsukiko turned a sly gaze to Claire.

"What does our interloper have to give to our son?" The question was said in a manner that produced no few smiles of malicious pleasure.

Claire carefully extracted herself from her seat, and went to stand in the middle of the floor, before the giant pile of gifts.

"While I make no delusions about my ability to make a greater gift that any of these… items behind me, I can still give something that no one else can. However," and she smirked. "since I'm fairly certain that bedroom talk would go rather badly here-" several people choked on their wine, and her kids all stifled laughter, "I think I'll do something a touch more conventional."

There was the barest hint of color on even _Tsukiko's_ face, something that Claire didn't fail to notice, even as the dance tempo was begun by Alan. Lauren joined in after only a moment on the panpipes from Melissa, Meri played a pair of maracas more-or-less in time, and Jamie and Mirei lifted their voice in song, a mix of gentle tenor and cheery alto.

And Claire _danced_.

The veils and gauzes became nothing more than a colorful mist as she twirled, spun, dipped, and twisted, each move a promise of what would come later, of what had come many times before. She had eyes only for Skye, and he stared back at her, awed in spite of himself. He knew she could dance, but he'd never expected something so… _vibrant_ for a present. Especially considering the way she'd been so upset with him at the beginning of the day.

Among the nobles, reactions varied. Some were actively scandalized—such moves shouldn't bee seen outside of a _brothel_—others were too stunned to think properly, and yet others admired her more for her display.

For Skye and several others the end came all too soon as Claire went into a calculated sprawl, veils shifting into silence. Her blue eyes were flared with a triumph that couldn't be denied, even as her body protested vehemently the use of such extravagant moves.

Slowly, applause began, Starting with Kaemon, who's sardonic smile was praise all on its own, it rippled outwards until even the disgusted were grudgingly admiring the sweat-soaked blonde.

She rose after a long moment, gave a slight nod of her head to acknowledge them, and returned to her place beside her husband, face flushed from her exertion. He promptly gave her a long, clearly-appreciative kiss.

At the back of the room, several silver-haired women were the most scandalized, but one with cat-green eyes stared across at the blonde who had stolen the prince out from under her fingers. There was anger in those eyes, and calculation as well. But now was the wrong time for such a confrontation, there would be chances in the upcoming future.

"That was… impressive," and the compliment was reluctantly given from Tsukiko. "We suppose it was a worthy gift for our Eldest."

Claire's head had moved to Skye's shoulder once the kiss was completed, and she just smirked. She had gotten the better of the entire court with that performance, and was quite cheerful about the whole thing.

Shortly after that several dancers of the Tranquility Court were summoned, as if to thwart Claire, but nothing they did came anywhere close to the impassioned, vibrant dance she had performed.

"You're going to be the talk of the court," Skye murmured.

"And here I thought I already _was_…"

* * *

Following the public 'feast' was a private family one, in the Rose Room. _Here_ there was enough food to satisfy the two families—one of seven, the other of nine—and Claire waved away the many compliments on her dance, grinning with pride.

Even _Toshihiro_ gave her a compliment, as grudging as the Queen's had been. Hoshi and Meri were in one corner, playing with the maracas—_loudly­_—as they giggled together. Alan, Mirei and Yue occupied another corner, the Moon child bursting with questions about their music.

It was inevitable though, that such exertions took their toll and long before the festivities normally would have worn down, the family of seven took their leave. Happy conversations echoed all throughout the corridors of Tranquility, punctuated by singing, music, and laughter.

* * *

_Phew, that was fun! Hard, and my body won't be happy with me for the next few days, but well worth it. The looks on their _faces _were priceless! If I hadn't scandalized the court before, I certainly have _now!

_Oh, and Skye didn't have to a lot of convincing to get Daisuke to take three days in four of Court duty, he practically _jumped_ at the chance! Tsukiko wasn't too happy with it, but after he pointed out that Dai was going to be the next king, she gave ground._

_Makes me wish I could light off a firework in the Council chambers to make them hurry up and finalize things. Ah well, I can't get everything I want… Though now I wonder if these people have a Fireworks Festival?_


	27. August 18, Summer, Year 36

**August 18, Summer, year 36**

_I don't know whether to be shocked, annoyed or amused, but I ran into… Uh, _Hikari_! The same one who Tsukiko sent to cause problems sixteen years ago._

_She's actually.. not that bad. A little pretentious, but not that bad…_

* * *

It was a day for Skye to be in Court, but as often happened he reminded them of their freedom to wander Tranquility halls. The younger kids were playing out in the gardens—Alan had said that Yue might take them to play with some of his friends, and she'd said okay as long as they were _careful_—with Lauren keeping an eye on them while drawing. Jamie was exploring the many types of plants, hoping to take some back home with him when the time came to leave.

Meri was with her mother, riding her shoulders. They were actually _in_ the Tranquility halls, admiring all the things they hadn't seen as Claire meandered. Smiles were coaxed from a variety of faces as the blonde's cheery laugh echoed down the halls.

Determined to make her own fun despite the attitudes of the nobles who walked passed her, Claire and Meri zoomed down the halls, the small child shrieking in glee as she 'flew' on her mother's shoulders.

This ended when they skidded around a corner and abruptly ran into what felt like a bundle of gauze and silk. Quick as a blink Claire shifted her child from her shoulders to her arms as she tumbled backwards, wincing at the crack of her back against stone. She _had_ been running at near full-speed… it made the resulting crash a little more spectacular than anticipated.

"Er…" and she winced as she sat up. Bruises on her _back_ now. "Sorry about that?"

"Somehow, I find myself doubting that, but you are only mortal."

"Hey! I _resemble_ that remark!"

There was a log pause, as gauzes continued to flutter to the floor. The lady—for the voice was female even if Claire couldn't yet make out the features—seemed highly confused by the comment.

"Should that not be 'I _resent _that remark?'" she asked after a long moment.

Claire giggled.

"Why should I resent it?" she asked reasonably, rubbing the small of her back. "I _am_ mortal, there's no point in denying it."

Finally, the last of the veils slid to the floor, one landing on Meri who giggled a little, and pulled at it. It revealed a face that Claire had to wrack her mind as to why it was so familiar, before her blue eyes went wide in surprise.

"It's, it's, it's!" She pointed in surprise, which quickly faded to puzzlement. "You know I don't think I ever _heard_ your name. What was it again?"

The lady sighed, but it was very clear from the twitching of her lips that she was trying to _not_ smile. Cat-green eyes glittered with suppressed resigned amusement. This was _not_ how she'd intended to meet the blonde.

"Hikari," she replied. "I am Princess Hikari of Vapors Castle."

"You _are_ her then!"

To Hikari's surprise Claire didn't glare or act suspicious in the slightest. Instead, she giggled. She couldn't help it, the castle name was _too_ silly.

"You look different from what I remember. Your hair was style differently and your eyes looked more yellow than green."

"You are not… angered?"

"Why should I be?" Claire shrugged lightly. "You were under orders so it wasn't like you had a choice in the matter. It would be pointless to tag you with blame when it was Tsukiko's fault."

Hikari felt her jaw unhinge slightly at Claire's plain disrespect for the queen. But then again the blonde hadn't been too impressed with Tsukiko ever since her arrival in court, tired, and needing more sleep than a single 'night' could afford.

"I really _am_ sorry for running you down," Claire offered the silver-haired woman her hand, a friendly smile crossing her face. "Lacking the usual things to keep us busy we're sort of… fabricating our own entertainment."

In a rustle of silk and satin Hikari accepted the work-roughened hand, sliding to her feet in one graceful move. Her hair had been shorn after her failure with Skye, it hung barely past her shoulders now, confined in a simple half-ponytail. They showed off her earrings, two in each ear. One was a surprisingly deep red stone—too dark to be a ruby, but what it was she didn't know—the other was pearl and a blue stone she didn't recognize.

The blonde had quickly learned that there were a lot more in the way of magical stones than she could find in her small town, but learning about them was part of the fun. She made a mental note to ask Skye later as she helped replace the fallen gauze on the Lady, Meri having hidden behind her mother again at the sight of a stranger.

"You were perhaps running through the Rainbow Halls?" Hikari asked, noting the corridor she would have passed had it not been for the collision. "It is not unheard of, even the younger children of Her Majesty do that."

"Is that what the place is called?" Claire flicked a glance over her shoulder as she hoisted Meredith back onto her shoulders. "Suits, though it's plain enough for a name."

"What would you have called them?"

She heard the note of faint irritation and high-minded superiority, and dismissed it. Hikari was PoM, it was understandable that she'd take offense to the comment that 'Rainbow Halls' was a plain name.

"Dunno," and the shrug bounced the small child, making her giggle. "But just calling them the Rainbow Halls doesn't do them justice."

There was another long silence.

"You are a very strange mortal."

Claire cracked up.

"Yeah," she managed between spurts of laughter, "I get that a lot."

* * *

"You _met_ Hikari?" Skye's surprise nearly knocked him off the bed where they were lounging. "Should I be worried?"

Claire smacked his head in feigned annoyance, and stuck out her tongue, giving him a shove that knocked him the rest of the way off. He fell as comically as possible, surprising a spurt of laughter from her.

"No, you should _not_," she informed him tartly, sprawling across the bed to peer down at him. "It was Tsukiko's fault, so there's really no reason for me to be angry with Hikari, is there? Besides, she's not bad. A little bit more stuck up than Miharu, and not as friendly as Ten-chan," the messenger had specifically requested that nickname, so Claire complied, "but not bad. We got into a talk over some of the silly names of the halls. It was fun!"

* * *

"So you've contacted her?"

"Yes. She blames the Queen for my actions, so I think there will be no troubles in getting close to her."

"How progresses the plans?"

"I know where and how. They should be executed with no effort upon my part, and blameless indeed."

"Good."

"You agree to my terms? I do not want him harmed."

"He is in the way."

"So is she. If he becomes harmed, I will tell her everything, and get her the proof needed. Your plans will be for naught."

Hands clenched tightly on fabric covered chair arms.

"Instead of death, why not alter his memory?" the comment was neither hasty nor panicked, thought had clearly been put into it. "Erase her and replace it with the idea that he should return with me to my lands, leaving the kingdom in care of another. Then you can do as you will."

"…We shall see. You are dismissed."

Silks and satin rustled as she curtsied and withdrew from his chambers. Hand founds and toyed with a blue-glowing dagger. Perhaps he would have to use it on _her_ instead, as soon as she had accomplished his goals.

* * *

_Outside of lessons with Miharu and meetings with Ten-chan, I'm going to be talking with Hikari as well. Maybe I'll get a better insight to the court activities from the Princess of the Castle of Vapors._

_…it's really hard to write that with a straight face…_


	28. August 25, Summer, Year 36

**August 25, Summer, year 36**

_There's a Firefly Festival… but I have _no idea_ what it's about. Not mourning the dead, they already did _that_ with Obon… Oh well, guess I'll just have to wait and find out._

* * *

According to the Skye, the game of the day was 'who can upstage whom in finery,' at Court. Since many of them would go directly from court to many of the pavilions scattered around the castle grounds—and some farther distant ones—for the darkening so that the fireflies could come out, they all wanted to look their most impressive in hopes that they might coax one to land on them.

"Wait, you mean it's _actually_ going to get _dark_?" Lauren's disbelief was echoed by all of them, even as she straightened the ribbon in her hair. "_How?_"

"All over the Moon certain spells will be invoked to provide the illusion of night," Skye explained, pulling his blue sweater over his head. "We won't see the stars, not until the Earth Viewing, but at least this way it'll be dark for a period of time. The fireflies should be beautiful."

"So it's just watching _real_ fireflies?" even Alan was disappointed.

"Mhm," Skye affirmed, smiling a little wryly. "But at least we aren't expected to sit with my mother and siblings. We're going back to the glade for this."

Which explained why they were all dressing in comfortable casual instead of their 'sorta-fancy,' mother-made clothing. Lounging around a wooded clearing was preferable to sitting with a bunch of poison-tongued courtiers _any_ day.

"Will anyone be joining _us_?" Claire asked, tying Mirei's ribbon for her.

"It's possible. We might see any one of my siblings who've found the place."

All of _three_, and the ones she liked best. No troubles there.

* * *

Naturally, it couldn't be so easy. While Tsukiko, Daisuke and Yukiko had gone to one of the public pavilions—Tsukiko needed to be there to dim the piece of blue sky anyways—_everyone else_ had showed up at the glade.

Claire's expression was clearly disgruntled, but when Miharu and Tenshi joined the gathering she found herself unable to stay sulky, and joined in the conversation, stumbling along in beginning Moon Speak. For practice.

If she wanted to be honest she rather liked the winces she got when she mangled the language. They were amusing as hell.

Skye just shook his head in amusement at his wife—he knew she could speak better than that, _he_ was teaching her—and bowed to the Princess Akahari and her daughter Kimiko. It was the first time that Kaemon had requested his wife to come to Tranquility Palace, and she was a shy thing, less so than Hotaru, but obviously uncertain.

In the face of Claire, the uncertainty melted away, the blonde's naturally sunny nature once again winning her an unexpected ally.

Kimiko was less uncertain, jumping at the chance to play with Hoshiko and Meredith, both of whom had brought dolls and were cheerily playing house. Soon enough Kimiko joined them, and they changed from house to a skipping-rope game… though where the rope came from, none of them would ever figure out.

Jamie was lying on his back a little ways away from the main bustle of the group, so he was the first to see Hikari's hesitant approach. The Princess looked like she wanted nothing more than to be somewhere else. To Jamie it looked as though she hadn't prepared for the kind of gathering that tended to happen when his mother was around.

Which was loud, boisterous and full of laughter and fun. The fifteen-year-old boy sat up after a minute, and caught her attention by the move alone, but raised his hand anyway. The cat-green-eyed woman made her slow way to where he sat, smiling a little gratefully.

"My thanks," she said as she arranged her skirts. "I do not often spend this festival out of doors, so I am… unaccustomed to how things are to commence."

"You're not alone," Jamie smiled a little sheepishly. "Of us," and he made a slight gesture that took in his mother and siblings, "only Dad knows what's going on and he's really not telling."

"He always was the enigmatic one," she sighed softly. "Every girl in the courts has—_had_," and Hikari corrected herself lest she let slip her plans, "dreams of being his Lady."

Jamie squirmed a little uncomfortably. He didn't like thinking that any of the other women he saw walking around in satins, silks and gauzes would think about his dad like that. It just felt creepy. Besides from his point of view his parents were perfect, so why should anyone want to change that?

Hikari wisely kept the rest of the comments to herself, and simply sat with the teenager as the sky overhead shifted from pale blue to a deep velvet purple. Not dark enough to reveal the stars or the Earth, but dark enough that soon tiny pinpricks of light—fireflies—were making themselves known all around the clearing.

Laurie—who never went anywhere without her art supplies and Melissa's panpipes—pulled out the musical instrument and started to play. From somewhere, Claire produced a recorder, piping along with her green-eyed daughter, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. For them, it was.

The collective People listened in surprise, as all the kids but Meredith joined in the music making, and that was simply because the youngest was too shy to sing in front of so many people.

Skye let out a faint, heartfelt sigh as he listened, eyes sliding half-closed. Though it was peaceful enough, he found himself wishing for their home in Forget-Me-Not Valley, a place that wasn't entirely perfect.

Hikari slipped away softly, some distance. A public gathering like this would be a bad place to even remotely reveal her hand, not with _him_ there. It would ruin all of his carefully laid plans, after all, and in revenge he would likely ruin all of hers.

In a more sober moment, she could see and understand the bond between the silver-haired Prince and the golden-haired mortal. And if she felt like being utterly honest, she envied it. Skye had married the person he'd loved—that was such an _odd_ emotion—and had gotten children in the bargain. He hadn't married for politics, despite Queen Tsukiko's attempts, he hadn't married to cement an alliance or foster a treaty.

Such a simple reason. Such a _dangerous_ reason. Mortal lives and mortal love were… fleeting, after all.

A razor thin smile flitted across her face, and she slid away back into the woods. She would do things slowly and carefully for now, no need to make them overly curious about her reasons. Not with the way they all seemed to be falling over themselves to get _Claire's_ attention.

* * *

He watched her go, and expelled a faintly relieved sigh. How she had found this place and why she had come were things he would have to ask her upon his return, and he rather hoped he wouldn't have to force them out of her.

There was a point after all, where usefulness ended. He fingered the dagger-hilt hidden under his shirt thoughtfully, then scowled to himself and let his hand drop. It was too public, too soon. Death would be the _last_ thing that happened to him if that little blonde spitfire got her hands on him after such a weapon was revealed.

* * *

"That went well," Claire yawned, nestling up to Skye as they rode the clouds back to the palace.

She had a flush across her face, her eyes misty. Clearly, during the card games she'd had too much to drink. But it _had_ been a good evening. Toshihiro had unbent enough to join in the card games—even though he lost several times in a row to the dealer, Claire—and had even laughed on several occasions. They were short spurts, often surprising even _him_, but it was still laughter.

Meeting the wives of his two younger brothers—Princess Akahari and Princess Haruka—had been a treat. Haruka, out of her robes, had a personality similar to Claire's, which made her more than suitable for the military general Akio. And Akahari's kindness had clearly healed up Kaemon's mental injuries if not the physical ones. Both women were appropriate matches.

And Kimiko was adorable, even Claire had said it. But then, she thought _all_ children were adorable if they behaved well.

"It did," he smiled, shifting slightly so that he was leaning against the edge of the clouds, her head resting against his chest. "And what fun it was, hmm?"

"Agreed."

The sky overhead was lightening back to pastel blue, a fact lamented by all the kids who had been attempting to sleep on the way back. As if hearing the complaints the clouds shifted, small pieces changing into a band over five different pairs of green-or-blue eyes, blocking out the light.

Claire winced herself, but Skye's hand against her face was cool, and he made a better sunshade. At least, in _her_ mind he did.

Once back in their rooms, Claire did her best to bustle quietly and get everyone into bed. In the end, Skye had to help _her_ with getting into their bed, and held her very gently as she drifted into slumber.


	29. August 29, Summer, Year 36

**August 29, Summer, year 36**

Today was Daisuke's birthday. Tsukiko decided that since I rather flamboyantly upstaged her in dealing with Skye's birthday—which I am _still_ proud of, thanks—she would do her best to out-do whatever I came up with today.

A pity I didn't _know_ it was Daisuke's birthday otherwise I might've tried pestering Skye into helping me create something. Oh well, live and learn… I wonder if, after we go home, I can't drag some of the People down? Mingling would be amusing, and I'd _love_ to see their reaction to the Fireworks Festival.

Besides, neighbors need to check in every now and then, especially friends and family. Hmm.. I'll mention it later.

Anyways, she pretty much showed me up for not having a present at all, but I guess the old bat needs to have a few concessions from me. Skye tells me there's a music festival soon. I'll show them up then.

Right, anyways, Along with the fancy gifts from the courtiers was the announcement that since Daisuke was old enough it was time for him to have a wife. Not _now_, naturally, but within the coming period he needs to see at least six different Princesses—Moisture, Storms, Seething, Rainbows, Dew, and Sleep Palace Princesses respectively—and from them chose the one he wants to marry.

I have to admit I'm glad that Hikari isn't in the running. She's been nothing but nice, but I don't think I'd want her for a sister-in-law as much as a regular friend. Not quite sure why yet, but eh. Instinct says it's a bad idea so I'll listen to that.

Miharu says I'm coming along really well in healing studies and I might even get to make my first attempt at healing someone next month. Part of me is excited, part of me is nervous. I never thought I'd be doing actual healing. It's just something that neither Win nor the Goddess could ever teach. Win is a witch, who works mostly through potions—and she's technically evil, but she hasn't actually hurt anyone—and the Goddess… well, she works with plants mostly. The land, I guess would be the best way to put that.

She _is_ a Goddess of the Harvest and all that.

Ever since Daisuke took over most of Skye's court duty, he's been a lot more relaxed. No more bruises for either of us, thank goodness. I don't need that hassle on top of everything else.

Let's see, what else has happened? Mmm… not much, admittedly. Well, wait. Ten-chan let me send a message through her to check on my sister! Jill is doing alright. Apparently she had her twins a couple days after we arrived on the Moon. And indirectly named them after Skye and me.

Clarissa and Skylar, huh? Flattering. I'll have to make some baby blankets when I get home. Late presents are better than nothing after all.

Ten-chan said that Pony jumped about a foot when she showed. My poor little sister, I inadvertently scared her half to death. I wonder if we scared Gray as well? He's so stoic sometimes it seems like he's impossible to frighten.

Mmmm… I can still hear the festivities from here, for Dai's party. Skye's glaring at the door.. I bet if he could he'd mute them all. Even with only one day a week of court—more or less—he still spends more time than he should awake. With less court he's been working more with Akio, trying to track down whoever killed the King. I wish I could help sometimes, but I never really saw much in my dreams outside of the knife and the victim. Even when I was the _victim_, I couldn't see more than the stabber's forearm.

And now I hear a commotion from the kid's room. I _do_ hope that it's not Alan and Mirei arguing over a toy again… The last thing I need is another fight on my hands.


	30. September 7, Fall, Year 36

AN: I don't own any songs mentioned in this chapter. But I do love them to death.

**September 7, Fall, Year 36**

_It's about _time_ there was a decent festival around here. Ah, music festivals are always a blast._

_Skye pulled a few strings, so that we can be in an official 'competition.' I find it odd that they're competing over music… it's supposed to be shared with everyone! Ah… I guess this means that we're not going to have brig group songs._

_How disappointing. I bet these people could be really neat if they dropped some of their weird ideas._

* * *

To say that Claire was excited was a little like saying that rain was wet. Even in an unfamiliar land she couldn't help but be exuberant over the though of hearing and enjoying music. The kids were pretty much the same, and in fact the only person—well, people—not excited were Skye—who had seen it all before and was absently wondering how he would stay awake while waiting for their turn—and Meredith, who hated doing anything in front of large crowds. Family was one thing, strangers were another.

"So how does this work exactly Dad?" Lauren asked, propping her chin in her hands. "I mean, a competition? We don't have those back home you know…"

Skye chuckled.

"That's true. It's also why we're waiting until near the last minute to join the crowd of contenders. Some of them get vicious when trying to take or defend their title."

"Vi… no, I don't want to know," Claire corrected herself. "I think I can guess though. Miharu was talking about it yesterday and instead of lessons I got to help her make up as many beds as we could in the healer's ward."

Jamie and Lauren both winced, mentally making the connection. Alan and Mirei just shared blank looks.

Everyone was dressed moderately fancy, though not in Moon People clothing. They wanted to make a blanket statement, that they _knew_ what they were doing.

Claire was wearing her Flower Festival dress, a dark pink sundress with a white ribbon sash. Lauren was in a purple version, and had actually let her hair down for once, and Mirei's simple t-shirt dress was a vibrant shade of orange, highlighting both the blonde hair and blue eyes. Meredith was in a little overall-styled dress that appeared to have been tie-dyed. (It had.)

Skye, Jamie and Alan were dressed in simpler fare, just better fabrics than the usual jeans and cotton. In blue, yellow and green respectively.

"As for how it's supposed to work, it's actually quite simple. Everyone gets thirty minutes to perform as many songs as they can. Mother, Daisuke and Yukiko will judge, and at the end they announce the winner."

"That's… surprisingly simple," Claire said after a minute. "Thirty minutes hmm…"

Skye chuckled, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"We've been practicing enough," he teased. "I think ours will be the most impressive in the show, yes? They'll be singing traditional mostly, but us..?"

"We're singing _good_ music!" Mirei piped up, causing laughter to sweep through her family. "Not _weird_ music."

"All music is weird to someone," Lauren noted, tossing her panpipes from one hand to the other idly. "Especially if they're not used to it."

"Yeah, but most music tries to make a story out of something else," Claire's comment was said around a mouthful of gold-colored ribbon. She was attempting to tie her hair back, a process made easier when Skye moved around behind her. "It's hard to pick out sometimes but even the flow of the music gives people the impression of a story."

"To be honest," Skye's smile was audible, "most of the performed music is supposed to be done along with plays and different types of theater, not alone."

"That explains more than it should."

* * *

Waiting was the easy part. Everyone wanted a last chance to go over their music, each in their own way and lost in their own thoughts. They would alternate singing with playing instruments, like they did back home, and the variety of music would probably be more than the Moon People were used to.

Soon enough, Skye stood and beckoned to his family. It was time to head out and join the rest of the noble People in the festivities.

It was a quick trip to one of the outdoor pavilions, a bowl-shaped arena that even Claire had to admit had some decent acoustics. The stone was gold-veined marble, with silver-white cloud-cushions, most of which were occupied. Down at the center of the bowl was an arena of sand, that sparkled in the ever-present light.

"Let me guess," Claire's mouth was right next to Skye's ear. "Diamond dust?"

"Got it in one," his grin was rueful. "Ostentatious, I know…"

Taking seats with the other competitors, they ignored the looks and whispers. Everyone had gotten very good at that after almost three months, even the baby of the family.

The opening of the competition was very simple. Queen Tsukiko, Yukiko and Daisuke stood in the center of the arena and waited for the crowd's focus, and subsequent silence. Once they had it, Tsukiko lifted a slim white stick—a conductor's baton—and gave a tiny flick.

Claire jumped about a foot as several brilliant flashes went off in rapid succession. Almost like fireworks, except more blinding. Lauren made a hissing comment about being blind, Jamie swore—then apologized as Claire and Skye gave him disapproving looks—Alan and Mirei both yelped and rubbed at their eyes and Meri… was sleeping. The child could sleep through anything, it had been determined, and since she didn't want to participate in the actual music-making she was excused.

But that was the official signal to start and once the royal trio had stepped out of the arena, the music competition began.

And it was _long_. Despite Miharu's complaints and the number of people who _had_ been unable to attend because of injury or other foul play—Claire later learned that half a dozen people, including Hikari, had been poisoned. Thankfully all of them would live—there were still many competitors looking to have the title of Best Musician in Tranquility.

It was their equivalent of dinner time before they actually got their turn. And they weren't last by any stretch of numbers.

"This usually takes three days?" Jamie's shock was palpable. "Wow…"

"You have _no_ idea," Skye's voice was dry. "Thankfully we don't need to be here for all of it, just our turn and the end ceremony."

"Well then, let's show them what we earthlings can do," Claire's smile was challenging.

Grins rippled through everyone as they took their place at the center. Meredith sat in their vacated seat, awake and excited for her family. Just because she didn't like _performing_ didn't mean that she didn't love watching.

Lauren was up first as far as vocals went, and she chose what Claire had long ago teamed 'the farm's theme song,' _Walking on Sunshine_. Jamie and Mirei teamed up to sing _Ave Maria, _followed by Claire soloing _Think of Me_, one of her favorites from The Phantom of the Opera. Alan was tone deaf and knew it, but he loved to play music, and was wonderful with rhythmic instruments, so they played an instrumental piece, called _Equis Faire._

The effect was… stunning. People who had been only feigning interest in songs they'd heard hundred or thousands of times over again started to sit up and take notice as Lauren sang her song with as much cheer and energy as she could muster. The pure tones of Jamie and Mirei made heads start nodding, even though _Ave Maria_ wasn't the fastest song in the world. Married pairs exchanged looks when Claire sang, some smiling, some wistful.

And _Equis Faire_, even missing some of the instruments—it was one of those moments where Claire wished for Griffin and his guitar skills—had people clapping along with it, and sharing smiles.

Despite themselves, many of the People found themselves waiting with baited breath for whatever song would come next. They weren't to be disappointed, Skye and Claire joined hands, stepping forward. The song would be missing a great deal, the kids were substituting what instrumentation they could, but it really _was_ a song that needed a full orchestra.

Skye took a breath, waited as eyes focused on the pair of them, then began.

_No more talk of darkness, forget these wide eyed fears_

_I'm here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you._

_Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears. _

_I'm here, with you beside you, to guard you and to guide you…_

Claire's smile was sweet as she responded.

_Say you love me every waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime.  
Say you need me with you, now and always.  
Promise me that all you say is true. _

_That's all I ask of you…_

It was sweet, it was sappy and it was the last song they had time to sing. It suited them very well.

The applause was… well, thunderous was the best way to describe it. Claire gave a mental shake of her head and promised to find some way to get more modern music up from earth. If they thought _these_ songs were impressive, they would go wild with the variety that could be gleaned by a simple trip to a music store in a city.

"Your people are _deprived_," she whispered as they exited to their seats again, so that she could collect Meri who was bouncing up and down in glee.

"Tell me something I _don't_ know," he whispered back. "Let's get out of here before we have to sit through the old stuff all night."

The comment was accepted unanimously—hunger and tiredness were no small deciding factors—and they slid away without a second thought.

* * *

_I admit, I expected a reaction, but nothing as… _extreme_ as that. Methinks Skye and Daisuke are going to be having long negotiations once we go home, about getting new music up here._

_Heck, we might even be able to introduce them to some more modern tech… like, CD players. Among other things._

_Blast, now I want to watch that movie! Rats, rats, rats._


	31. September 18, Fall, Year 36

**September 18, Fall, year 36**

_We get to see the Earth tonight. I don't know whether to get excited or to be uncertain… Admittedly it seems a little cruel, to show us the place we can't go back to just yet._

_I know, I know, it's an official festival, and not meant to be like that, but I can't help it._

_And strangely, that reminds me… I've been feeling a bit odd these past few days. It might be nothing, but I should go and talk with Miharu about it soon. I hope I remember… the tedium of this place tends to drive the thinking right out of me._

* * *

The Earth Viewing was apparently a large, public festival. At least, this was the observation of Lauren, who was half-hanging from the balcony outside the 'junk' room. She had begun to be able to see the difference in the 'clones,' usually in the style of their dress. She could easily pick out several of the lesser nobles—the few her and Jamie's age who 'deigned' to talk to them—based on how they walked, how they wore their hair, and the colors of their clothes.

But this was more than just an influx of nobles—because apparently the Tranquility castle was the best place for viewing the Earth—there were…

"Hey bro," She made certain her voice was loud enough to reach _only_ her twin who was flipping through a book. "I think we have _common_ People coming in today."

Jamie blinked, looking up in confused startlement. Lauren's voice had been amused, but sarcastic as well. Intrigued, he put the book on the arm of the chair and wandered over to join his twin as she shifted position on the balustrade, moving so that she sat on the white stone railing as opposed to holding herself up by her arms.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, blinking his blue eyes at her.

"Take a look for yourself."

So he did. The mass of silver hair were expected but after a minute he saw what she did. There was the occasional head of black, blonde or brown hair among the sea of silver, and no limit to streaked hair similar to the younger twins'. The clothing was a definite give-away as well, no gauzes and frivolity for these folks.

It wasn't obviously rough or homespun like he'd seen in old movies, but it wasn't the high class silks, linens and satins that the nobles wore. Most of what _could_ be seen held a patchy look to it. And was almost brilliant compared to the pastel hues of the nobles, even though the colors were similar, just… deeper, darker.

"Wow… maybe we'll actually find kids who _like_ us in that crowd," he commented, running an idle hand through his hair

Some people—or rather, People—might have taken it for a gesture of vanity. Lauren knew it for a nervous gesture, a habit he'd been using more often since they came up here. Being the only one outside of their dad who fit in was almost as uncomfortable to him as being someone who stood out in a crowd. It didn't help that he wasn't as suave as his father or as outspoken as his mother.

The blonde teen reached out after a minute and whacked his arm in a friendly manner.

"What're you moping about?" she teased lightly. "Sad you won't be seeing Sharron for the Moon festival?"

Jamie blushed, and glared slightly at Laurie, who giggled in reply.

"Don't _you_ miss anyone?" he grumped slightly. "What about Mel?"

He was startled to see a faint blush cross his twin's cheeks. It took him only a few seconds more for things to click. His eyes widened.

"So _that's_ why Rob doesn't like you!" he exclaimed.

Lauren kicked him—gently—in the ribs. Now _she_ was the one glaring, and it was Jamie's turn to be triumphant.

"Yeah…" she admitted reluctantly. "He overheard me telling Alicia, and took it the _totally_ wrong way."

The silver-haired boy covered his mouth to help muffle the snickers. This time Lauren's kick was a little harder, and deserved as well.

"Have you talked to Mom about it?"

"Nah…" Lauren waved the question off negligently. "She's got enough on her mind right now… Did you know that she cornered Dad and made him tell her all the details about the king's death?"

"Oh boy…" Jamie grimaced slightly. "If Mom's getting involved maybe we should all just duck down for a while…"

Lauren laughed, leaning back slightly. She didn't notice several People look around in surprise, or the smiles in response to her obvious amusement even though they couldn't track the sound.

"How did you find this out anyways?" Jamie asked after a minute. "I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a secret…"

"Overheard," Lauren shrugged lightly. "But they stopped talking about it when I got closer, so yeah, it's probably not supposed to be spoken about beyond the family."

"Jeez sis," he grinned wryly. "For something that's supposed to be a secret you sure did mention it quick enough!"

"I'll throw a _shoe_ at you…"

* * *

A loud crashing noise, followed by loud squabbling and crying pulled Claire and Skye out of their discussion about the worst of the petitioners he'd dealt with the day before.

Sharing a resigned look with her husband, the blonde rolled off the bed and padded over to the door, already seeing the scene in her mind's eye.

So she was surprised to see that the cause of the chaos was the _older_ twins, not the younger ones. Lauren was chasing Jamie around the room wielding a shoe. Her other one was lying in the remains of the block castle that Alan had been building—which was why he was complaining at the top of his lungs—part of which had landed on Meredith's head, which was why _she_ was crying.

In fact the only one _not_ involved in the chaos was Mirei, who was sitting on her bed, for once playing quietly with a doll.

The blonde sighed, put two fingers in her mouth and let out a piercing whistle that got the attention of everyone in the room. Lauren took the opportunity to smack Jamie with her shoe before she was done, huffing her annoyance when he yelped and rubbed the back of his head.

Claire raised an eyebrow at the pair, who had the decency to blush as Skye started to soothe the youngest of the brood.

"I'm not going to ask," the mother said, one hand propped onto her hip. "But I _do_ hope you're not going to do this when we have to sit on the dais…"

Faces were made all around. None of them really wanted to be sitting near Tsukiko and the others when their robes were on, even if it _was_ their official spot. Not only did it mean being under the eye of the assembled, it meant they would have to dress up in the fancy Moon-Clothing. Skye had requested it… he might not have been on good terms with _all_ of his family, but he cared enough about them to not want unpleasant rumors starting.

"They knocked over my castle!" Alan complained loudly, again. "It was almost _done_ too!"

"It was time to collect all of you anyways," Skye said, handing Meri off to Claire. "Time to clean up and all that."

There was a chorus of groans, silenced under Claire's stern gaze. She didn't like it any more than they did, but if she could put up with it, so could they. After all, unlike the festivals at home, going to these was mandatory.

"First though," and she fixed her blue eyes on her oldest twins. "The two of you are going to clean up the mess that you made."

"Yes Mom…"

* * *

"That was _your_ fault…"

"Oh, shut up…."

* * *

In what seemed to be a whirlwind of activity, everyone cleaned, bathed and dressed. Everyone's hair was brushed until they gleamed various shades of gold and silver.

Claire took a hand with the girls and did her best to apply some of the makeup that she had brought with her to herself and the older two. Mirei, who loved to dress up and be pretty, couldn't stop hurrying to the mirror every few minutes once she was done, just to stare at her reflection.

For the youngest twin, the colors were blue and gold silks, as vibrant as the child herself. Claire had put the palest of blue eyeshadow's on Mirei, and only a faint touch of lip gloss. Her hair was tied back in it's usual fashion, with a brilliantly gold ribbon that dangled halfway down her back. It took a bit of careful looking to notice that it wasn't cloth, but actual gold, interwoven with blue stone chips that Skye identified as sapphire.

Lauren was in pale green and gold, with a pale green over her eyes and a more substantially colored lip-gloss on her lips. She had left her hair loose after a quick discussion, and had actually agreed to wear a small gold and emerald tiara, mostly to keep her hair out of her face.

Meredith wore cream and yellow, being the youngest, and a white-gold circlet with a shining topaz inserted in the center. She had no makeup, being too young for it, and her hair was left loose as well.

It made the boys glad that they weren't expected to wear any of that fancy stuff, but they too had to look relatively well dressed.

Jamie wore silver and a deep blue that was almost black, accented here and there by flashes of silver thread. Instead of the slipper-like shoes, he was allowed to wear dark brown boots, though they weren't the most comfortable of items.

Alan was in silver and bright green, shot through with golden threads. He wasn't sure he liked the clothes as they wouldn't wear well if he played in them, but for fancy… well, they weren't _too_ awful. At least he could move and breathe.

Claire and Skye were wearing the same clothes they'd worn for their wedding.

Her dress was pale white, with a scoop-neck and thin shoulder straps. The sleeves were connected by golden, off-the-shoulder straps, with white roses embroidered onto them. The cuffs of said sleeves—as well as the hem of the dress—were of the same gold fabric with white embroidered roses. All around the bottom part of the dress were butterflies in rainbow hues.

While she settled her circlet and decorative belt—both with cream-colored gauze veils—Skye pulled on his silver, grey and green robes, trading a piece here and there for blue to break up the color scheme.

They made quite the picture when finished, and even Lauren had to admit that if they all looked like Skye they would have fit in impeccably.

"Scary, isn't it?" Skye winked slightly.

The effect was ruined as Claire's elbow lightly jabbed him in the side as she tried not to laugh. He clutched at his ribs dramatically, causing bright laughter to peal forth as they left the room.

* * *

The pavilion for the royalty—both visiting and not—was wide, and in the middle of a water-lily strewn lake. It was covered in pale blue and green veils that fluttered in a slight breeze, and thick cloud-cushions adorned the myriad of benches that were set up in an almost haphazard manner, very different from what they were used to seeing.

"…catching People trying to go through the portals already…"

"…cannot _believe_ how many we have had to…"

"…think we would be lax on such a day? Fools…"

The topic under mass discussion was the fact that many of the People—the "common" People—were unsatisfied with merely _looking_ at the Earth, they wanted to _visit_ it instead. But all the portals were on Palace grounds. Since this was one of only a few scant days where the public could come onto Palace lands, many tried to attempt to get into a portal house, in hopes of working their way down to the Earth.

"Silly clutches do not understand that we are _more_ vigilant on this day because of them," Hikari whispered to Claire. "If only they could be content with what we grant them…"

Claire frowned. She didn't like it when people spoke like that, acting as if they were better simply because they were the Royalty of the Moon. But because she liked Hikari, a little, she chose to keep her mouth shut and simply wait, idly bouncing Meri in her arms to keep the smallest child content. Alan and Mirei had wandered away, then back with Yue and Hoshiko in tow. They had proceeded to set up camp under a refreshment table and play some sort of game. Claire had one eye and most of her attention on them, so when Skye touched her shoulder she jumped slightly.

He chuckled faintly, and gestured upwards. Sure enough, the blue overhead was vanishing, being replaced by the black velvet and shimmering light of the twinkling stars, which they hadn't seen in what felt like forever.

Alan and Mirei hurried over to their parents, joining Jamie and Lauren who had simply waited with them as the blue, green and white ball of the Earth became visible. Claire let out a soft breath of awe, staring at the globe that was her home.

Skye slid an arm around her waist, smiling faintly.

"Now do you see why I like it better?" his voice was a breath in her ear, barely loud enough for her to hear. "Other than the fact that it has you…"

She didn't have the heart to elbow him for that, instead leaning her head against his shoulder. Stepping on his _foot_ on the other hand, she did do that. Lightly. He just chuckled and lightly kissed her forehead.

"It's pretty…" Even Alan was awed into near-silence by the sight, having never seen a thing like it before.

"Yeah…" Mirei nodded, reaching out to grab the edge of her father's robe, drawing closer.

"Alan, gimme the camera," Lauren whispered. "This would be amazing framed, even if no one ever believes us."

Wordlessly the younger boy passed over the camera he had received from his best friend Jasper. Lauren, in turn, passed it over to Jamie who could work the darn thing better than her any day of the year.

The silver-haired teen adjusted the camera several times before taking a multitude of shots in rapid progression. In truth he used up the last ten shots on the roll of film, most of the rest had been used to take pictures of the many wonders and beautiful things in the Palace already. Not to mention the three rolls of film before it…

Claire endeavored to ignore the whispers of the courtiers, who were tittering behind their hands at the awe of herself and her children.

While the nobles moved around, chatting languidly, they simply looked up at the stars and the Earth.

"I want to go home now…" Meri piped up unexpectedly. "'way from the ghostie-peoples an back to fun peoples!"

It was a sentiment quickly echoed by the rest of the family, even Mirei who wanted to play at the Goddess Spring again, without worrying about getting too dirty. Claire gave her youngest a gentle kiss to the forehead.

"Have they stopped arguing yet?" she asked Skye, eyebrows drawing together in a mix of worry and hope.

It was obvious which 'they' she meant, and he regretfully shook his head.

"Hopefully by December," he sighed. "Daisuke and I are leaning on them to hurry up, but they are old and quite set in their ways… I'm sorry my loves."

"It's okay Dad," Lauren said. "I mean, it's long, but we get to see something new, right? Even if we don't ever come back…"

"The experience will stay with us," Jamie finished. "For a long time."

The Prince started slightly, then smiled at his beloved children, warm and open.

"Right."

* * *

_There are no words to describe how utterly beautiful the sight was. It's supposed to stay this way for a week, so we'll get to see the stars for a while yet. Now, how to curb the homesickness, _that_ will be the tricky part. I suppose it help a little not being able to identify our island… but still._

_I want to go _home!


	32. September 23, Fall, Year 36

**September 23, Fall, year 36**

There is a distinct _lack_ of festivals around here. It makes day-to-day life very dull. Because there's not that much to do either. At home we'd be busy with… let's see… Oh, the Harvest Festival—they actually have one in October, I'm shocked—and the fall cooking festival, which is the one that _I_ like to enter. Because as we've learned, fancy dishes and I do _not_ get along without quite a bit of coaching and watching.

Makes me glad Skye can cook, otherwise I'd probably live off of sandwiches and soda, or something equally bad. Heheh.

He actually takes quite a bit of pride in his cooking, not that it's a big surprise. But the surprise is that when he first came down to Earth, he didn't have the faintest idea about how to cook _anything!_

And now he insists on telling the story himself, because me doing it second-hand wouldn't be right. Silly boy…

* * *

I wouldn't say that I didn't know how to cook _anything…_ I knew how to make very simple foods though. Things like a multitude of sandwiches and how to press juice…

You know, the _easy_ things.

I was… insufferably arrogant at the time as well. I was still very much the proud and pampered Prince who was used to having things go his own way. And in a way everything _did_, for as long as I stuck around a Goddess Pond I would get food from my family.

But I didn't want to linger around half-populated islands, I wanted to see what was out there. And in quick, short term I leaned. People, and not the type that I was used to dealing with.

You must understand, while I knew magic it was the very basic of types. I could freeze people, and heal myself, and that was about it. I wasn't a thief—that idea didn't come to me until _much_ later, when I was on the brink of starving and decided to do what I had to, in order to remain alive—I was a pampered Prince of the Moon.

Well, I got that beaten out of me rather quickly when I hit the mainlands. I stepped off the ferry and was almost immediately cornered by some thugs, who were interested in the rings and bracelets I was wearing.

Oh you laugh _now_… Alright, I admit it, it was a foolish thing to do. But I had no knowledge of what the _intelligent_ thing to do was, now did I?

It took several groups of thugs before I learned to keep my mouth to myself and hide my jewelry when walking into the dingier parts of town. On the last time I failed to learn this lesson I was rescued by a young lady officer, who carted me off to her precinct to give a statement.

At this point I had started to become wary of the humans I encountered, but she didn't seem too bad. She was a little rough, sharp, and short tempered. No, worse than you my love, much worse. She didn't _quite_ hammer the lessons of the world into me, but she did a good job of trying. I think I ended up with more bruises from Annette than I ever received at the hands of gangs.

But the lessons were good ones. Teaching me how to keep my mouth shut so that I stopped getting roughed up took the longest, I think. And when she got the chance she showed me the basics of cooking. It was probably the only thing that made her smile.

Well, I made her laugh a great deal while I was trying to figure out the use for pots, pans, dishes, soup tins, and so on. It might be hard to believe, but I burned more than my fair share of what _should_ have been decent food.

For a while Annette was even unwilling to let me boil the water for her coffee. Not that I can blame her, I _was_ a complete fumble-fingers a the time.

Not long after I managed the basics, Annette was shot in the line of duty. She left all her belongings to me, which was quite the shock… So I stayed in that place for a while and honed my cooking skills as best I could without a teacher. Once that was done, I went looking for people who would be willing to show me how to make more complicated dishes.

Which is how I got started on the path to making the most perfect curry ever… and started me down the path of thievery.

But I have taken up enough of the book, I think, with this one story.

* * *

You're not getting out of it _that_ easily. Just you wait, when it gets this boring again I'm going to _make_ you tell us that story. It can't be _that_ bad of a tale.

I'm getting the look. I _hate_ the look… That look of 'I'll tell you when _I_ feel like it and no sooner.'

Gah… that look always makes me want to smack someone. Distractions, distractions…

Well, I _did_ manage to get Skye to fill me in on the hunt for his father's killer. If I didn't understand Akio's motives I'd be wondering if maybe _he_ didn't have a hand in the whole mess… but there would be no point to it, he's got a wife and a Palace to rule once his father-in-law and mother-in-law step down from their thrones. Skye says it shouldn't be more than ten years before they do so, they're one of the oldest families of Moon People.

Er, I mean, the _oldest_ of the families of Moon People. Argh, the in-laws are a pair of old fogies, there_!_ _That_ makes bloody _sense!_ Hmph.

_Anyways…_

After I badgered him enough he finally told me what the knife from my dream was. They call it a 'soul-stealer' but it's really just a magically enchanted blue dagger. Actually, all of their weapons are made from the stuff, it's a malleable metal that's a bit of Mystrile and glass mixed together, and then enchanted. You wouldn't think it would wok, but apparently it does. He even had Akio show me one.

It's _almost_ identical to the one in my dream, but Aki's had a wood grip, sanded smooth with contours for where his fingers would fit. The one in my dream had a leather grip, with silver gilt-paint on it.

I should know, I certainly _saw_ the dratted thing from more than one angle!

Agh, and it _still_ gives me shivers to think about it.

…and I'm not about to turn down a backrub offer. Mmm, I'm gonna go melt for a while now.


	33. October 20, Fall, Year 36

**October 20, Fall, year 36**

_I _said_ it was boring around here. Almost a whole month with nothing interesting happening… Sheesh._

_Well, alright, Kaemon's birthday was the 13__th__, but we weren't allowed to attend it at the Rain Palace because it would have meant another teleportation trick, followed by teleport-sickness._

_In other words, Skye was being over-protective again. At least this time I had enough warning to at least ply my needle to embroidery and made him a rough picture of our farm. He really liked it, and wants to know if he can visit after we go home!_

* * *

"Wait, so she arranged a feasting party without _asking _me?"

Claire had the look of one who was about to go orbital. But she had good reason. Having learned of Meredith's birthday, Queen Tsukiko had—without bringing Claire into the plans—ordered a full celebration on the child's behalf.

Even though she was only half-blood, a Princess's birthday was still an occasion. Tsukiko had conveniently forgotten that Skye was happily abdicating his throne, and considered all of the children princes and princesses, even when they made the distinction that it was _not_ what they wanted.

Even Mirei, who loved to be fancy, had no wish to be an actual princess if it meant being so _bored_ all the time. And upon learning what lessons a princess had, and how little free time, it reinforced her decision.

So Claire was decidedly _less_ than pleased with her mother-in-law. Her plans had been more modest and quiet, because Meri was _not_ a crowd person.

"I only just found out myself," Skye sighed, raking a hand through his silver hair. "If I had known beforehand I would have told her it was out of the question."

"She's only fo-_five_," Claire corrected herself. "There's no reason for such a large gathering! It's nonsensical!"

The child under discussion, curious to hear her mother's voice so raised, toddled over and hugged Claire's leg. Surprised the blonde looked down, then smiled softly, bending to sweep her child up in a hug.

It was moments like these that made being in this place worth it, Skye decided. Even f this place was nothing more than a hassle with its manipulations, schemes and back-biting, there was always this constant from Claire and his family.

Love.

"Mommy, whasa matter?" Meri asked, happily snuggling up in her mother's arms.

"Your Grandma planned one of those giant parties for you without informing us," Skye said before Claire could open her mouth. "Like what your Uncle Daisuke had."

To no one's surprise, the child's mismatched eyes went wide and she shook her head rapidly, making her pigtails whoosh out to either side of her head.

"It starts soon, I'm afraid," and Skye patted his youngest on the head, smiling sympathetically. "Don't worry, they'll just present you with gifts, there will be a little entertainment, and then we should be free to leave."

_Should_ was the operative word there, and Claire had the sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't be so easy.

* * *

The didn't dress up, since there was every intention of going out to the clearing after the party and celebrating _quietly_ on their own. But the family trooped down to the banqueting hall, each with their own thoughts.

Claire was angry with Tsukiko. To think, this woman had tried going over her _head_ to throw a party that she had no business throwing. Meri was no princess—not literally—and all the expensive frivolities would hardly be worth it.

Skye was resigned, but also annoyed. His mother had seen his youngest enough to know that the child was painfully shy in a crowd of people, preferring to stick only to her family. So throwing a party like this was merely her way of trying to rub Claire's face in the fact that the queen _could_ throw this sort of party and shower the children with lavish, expensive gifts, where her mother could only sing her songs, read her stories and just _be there_. Tsukiko had no idea that this was just what the child wanted.

Meri was hesitant and uncertain. The ghost-people frightened her, because they were all strangers and she didn't like strangers talking to her when they didn't really know her.

Both sets of twins were annoyed on their sister's behalf. Their idea—and their plans—of a good party had consisted of a small family gathering, somewhere private and out of doors.

It was this highly disgruntled group that sat through almost two hours of gift-giving—most of the presents were frivolous things like small pieces of jewelry, or colorful gemstones with no real purpose.

"Clearly these people have no idea the proper gift for a five-year-old," Claire heard Lauren mutter.

Of the gifts granted only Kaemon's was so far appropriate, a small stuffed animal in the shape of a Pegasus.

The sensible gifts were given, in the end, by Skye's siblings. Yukiko gave Meri a picture book that would project said pictures in wonderfully bright colors. Daisuke gave her a music box that played a flute-sounding lullaby. Akio gave her a small birdcage with a small canary-like bird in it, which trilled cheerfully upon seeing the small child.

For Hotaru's present, there was a _real_ Pegasus, a filly that had been orphaned not too long ago. She had made explicitly certain that the winged-horse wouldn't mind being with the small child before bringing her to the party.

Toshihiro gave her a blanket that was almost twice her size, in a rainbow of pastel shades. It looked thin, but he said—gruffly—that it would be warm enough for even the harshest Earth winter.

Yue and Hoshiko had collaborated on a project, a painted ceramic pot—it was covered in rainbow designs and bright suns with smiling faces—filled to the brim with bright yellow flowers. Marigolds, they had proclaimed proudly, to match Meri's name.

The following entertainment was music, which quickly got repetitive and boring. The following escape was surprisingly easy, considering they were the ones on the dais, but they wasted no time in thinking about it. Instead they took the filly—the only present Meri didn't want to leave behind—grabbed a 'picnic basket' from the kitchens courtesy of Skye and his pre-planning, and hightailed it out to the clearing as quickly as possible.

"Phew," Claire sighed once they were settled on the clouds. "talk about over-indulgence of _junk_. Do they really expect us to keep that pile?"

The pile of trinkets had been almost as tall as Mirei and Alan, made up of sparkles and things that shone.

"Just be glad that Mother didn't have enough knowledge beforehand to arrange something for the twins," Skye sighed softly. "And we should be out of here before anyone else has their birthday, Hoshiko's isn't until November."

"Thank _goodness_," the blonde farmer's sigh was relieved. "So they're finally stepping it up?"

"After being leaned on by Daisuke, myself and Kaemon, I would _hope_ so."

Upon hearing that everyone let of quiet cheers of relief. They wanted to go home as badly as their parents did, if not more so, all for various reasons. The biggest one was to be able to sleep in their own beds again.

"Would I get to take Belle with me?" Meri yawned. Trying not to be afraid at the big party had worn her out.

The Pegasus in question nickered slightly, and Claire smiled.

"If your father doesn't object, taking her home is fine with me."

Skye gave his wife an amused, resigned look. The blonde just winked one blue eye saucily, grinning.

"As long as word didn't get off the island, I don't see why it would be a problem," he said after a minute. "And she might be a taming influence on Midnight. He's from here, though he's a throwback from a mating between a normal mare and a Pegasus. It's why he was sent home, these people only like what they perceive as normal."

"That's sad," Lauren commented. "This place would be a lot niftier if they had regular things as well as different. It might be more interesting."

Jamie snickered.

"Does this mean we can collect winged aminals?" Alan asked, eyes glittering in hope.

"No," his parents replied firmly.

"We have enough cats and dogs at home to qualify as a regular zoo," Claire stated. "And while the winged ones would be interesting, I think our other pets would be very unhappy with us."

"Not to mention what it would do to the local wildlife population," Jamie muttered under his breath. "Winged cats chasing birds…."

Everyone laughed.

* * *

_I guess it wasn't _too_ bad. We managed to make an early escape, we can leave most of the presents here when we go home, and there were even some useful presents among the frivolous._

_And hearing that we might be able to leave before the middle of November has brightened _everyone's_ moods._


	34. October 25, Fall, Year 36

**October 25, Fall, year 36**

_You know.. I don't think I expected _this_ when Skye mentioned there was going to be a Harvest Festival…_

_

* * *

_

Claire had to admit that it felt _good_ to be working in a field again after so many months of idling about the palace. But it was a very odd thing to be… well, working alongside royalty who clearly _didn't_ know what they were doing.

Well, alright, they knew a little bit, but not a whole lot.

"No, Daisuke, that's a weed," she said patiently. "You don't harvest weeds you pull them and toss them in the compost pile."

Skye was the most functional of the lot. Had it not been so bizarre, it probably would have been hilarious.

The Harvest Festival was tithe day. Basically the day when the regular Moon People carted a quarter of their vegetables to their land's palace. It was also the day when the royalty got to try their hand at old fashioned manual labor.

Claire was having a _very_ hard time not getting frustrated. Instructing children was fairly easy. Even if they were just beginning, somehow the children held more patience than the adults. You could show them what to do, which plants to harvest and usually things worked out.

Holding adult hands… was not her favorite thing in the world, figuratively speaking.

"You people need to spend more time in gardens and less time in your fancy palaces," she finally huffed, sitting back on her heels. "_Really_ now…"

Daisuke's grin was sheepish, and for once even Tsukiko seemed to be at something of a loss. It was nice to see them all elbow deep in dirt though. It made them almost seem human.

"This," she pointed at the weed again, "does not belong in a garden. The roots will take up the space needed for other plants such as the ones we're trying to harvest. It wouldn't go in the basket on the right, it would go in the small bin that the farmers handed to each of you. Later that bin gets emptied into the compost piles."

Said weed was an innocent looking thing with slim, spade shaped leaves. It looked _almost_ like a mint plant, but it lacked the distinctive smell that mint, especially _fresh_ mint, produced. Obediently Daisuke picked it, then set it gingerly in the small canister that was sitting next to his knee.

"I cannot _wait_ for this to be over," Claire muttered.

She was starting to get a headache.

* * *

Her kids weren't having much better luck in their attempts at instructing their aunts and uncles. Lauren was a bit farther along than her mother on the irritation scale, but as she was trying to deal with Toshihiro—who wasn't listening in the slightest—it was forgivable. She also had two of the Princesses that Daisuke was supposed to decide between, Suiren of the Moisture Palace and Tsuyu of the Dew Palace. Of the two, she _much_ preferred Tsuyu, who was willing to listen and learn.

Jamie had Hotaru and Kimiko listening. Also with him were Arashi of the Storms Palace and Reiko of the Sleep Palace. All four of them were listening attentively, and he was actually starting to feel like he'd gotten the better end of the deal.

Skye was dealing with the last two Princesses, Hatoko of the Seething Palace and Ameko of the Rainbow Palace, as well as his brother Akio and Akio's wife Haruka. The latter were working quite well, clearly Haruka had a _little _experience regarding such matters and had taught Akio what was safe to pick and what was a weed and not to be eaten.

Claire had drawn the short stick and was dealing with Tsukiko and Daisuke, both of whom were complete fumble fingers in the aspect of gardening. It made her wish for Kaemon, even if all he would have been able to do was observe. But he and his wife Akahari were at their home Palace. Lucky for them…

No one would listen to the younger children except their age mates, and truthfully Yue, Hoshiko, Meri, Alan and Mirei were off playing with the other Moon Children. They weren't expected to help, though they _were_ expected to keep out of the way of those working in the fields.

Still, with genuine farmers mingling with the royalty—something the PoM farmers were surprised to discover, though that surprise quickly turned to delight once they realized Claire and her children had experience—the gathering of the vegetables wasn't nearly as arduous as it usually was, at least according to Daisuke.

"You mean it usually takes _longer?_" Claire popped her back automatically, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "You people either need to get into the fields _more_, or out of them entirely. Speaking as another farmer, I'd say the latter would be appropriate."

Daisuke chuckled, and wiped some sweat from his forehead

"Yes well.. it's got many years of tradition behind it," he replied. "And most of us get better every year."

"How many years have you been doing this?" she countered, raising her other eyebrow.

"…You don't want to know."

Claire laughed.

"Alright maybe _some_ of you shouldn't be in the fields," she teased. "Now, do I smell food or am I imagining it?"

"It's food," Skye grinned, leaning backwards so that he lightly bumped his wife. "And it always tastes the best when you make it yourself, hmm?"

She giggled, and elbowed him lightly. He over-acted, flinging himself—carefully so as to not squish the newly replanted seeds—forward into the row he'd been working on. Laughter echoed into the air as Claire feigned surprise and innocence.

Only Tsukiko seemed displeased by the clear show of affection between her eldest and her reluctant daughter-in-law. (The reluctance was all on the Queen's side.) If he connected so deeply to this woman _now_, how would she ever convince him to remarry once she had lived out her pitifully short life-span?

"If we can smell the soup that means we're almost done," Haruka smiled warmly, waving muddy fingers in her husband's face to tease him. "Better plant the last of those seeds!"

"I hear that!" Claire laughed again, and bent with a will to the project.

Maybe, if she got lucky, she could come out here again soon and offer help. Working out in a farm would sooth her until they could leave, and it would break up the monotony of the never-ending days…

* * *

For the supper, Tsukiko had arranged it so that Daisuke was sitting between Tsuyu and Ameko. The other Princesses would get their turns to chat with him shortly, since as the courses changed so did their seating.

"Well, at least she had the foresight not to put Arashi and Hatoko next to each other," Claire murmured to her husband. "I don't think a fight would be good."

"It could be entertaining," he pointed out with a faintly mischievous smirk.

"And _dangerous_," she shot back, kicking his ankle lightly under the table. "Children present…."

He just chuckled and kissed her forehead lightly.

"Don't worry, Mother is more perceptive than that."

"Could've fooled me," was the muttered reply.

Skye chuckled again, this time a little ruefully. Trying to get his mother and his wife to get along was still… not possible. They could cordially snipe at each other, that was about where it stopped.

"At least this last bit is like home," the farmer said after a minute, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I can hardly wait for December."

"Late December," Skye nodded. "The coronation is set for the Solstice. After that we're free to return home."

"At _last!_"

The serving of food halted most conversation, and once the meal was over there was a contented, temporary lull. Then Claire, Jamie and Lauren were pulled one way by the PoM farmers, while Skye was drawn into a conversation with Reiko.

* * *

_Phew… It was a good day though! I'm really glad that I finally found a place where I can dig in the dirt. I don't even have to teleport to get there, just ask Skye to call me a cloud and I can be off as easy as that!_

_Mmmm… I ate a lot. But I still don't feel quite full. I wonder…_


	35. October 29, Fall, Year 36

**October 29, Fall, year 36**

_I… buh.. _What?!

* * *

Claire had felt like getting up high, and taking in the view. Since Alan and Mirei were once again off with Yue, Haruka was minding Hoshi and Meri, Skye was in court, and the older twins were off doing their own thing—Lauren was drawing, Jamie was just walking—she had a spare hour before she had to go to her next lesson with Miharu.

So she climbed staircase after staircase until she was in a hardly used tower near the very tip-top of the palace. It was simple, and in fact reminded her a little of the receiving area of the Harvest Goddess's place within the Goddess Pond. The stone floor was a simple silver-veined marble, extending up into simple, slate-grey walls. There were several large windows, and she leaned out one, smiling faintly.

That high up there was a chill, but it was caused by an actual breeze that swirled through the tower. Claire stretched out her hands lightly, towards the sky where she had seen the Earth two weeks before.

"Just two more months," she sighed. "Almost one. And then it's homeward we go! Uncle Tak will be glad to see us again, and I'll get to visit Pony! I can't wait to see my little namesake, and Skye's!"

She still wasn't quite able to believe that her sister had named her twins—indirectly—after them. It was flattering and sweet, if a little silly.

Then again, who was she to talk? She had named _her_ second twins after her parents. And that was only because she'd promised herself that she would name her first daughter after her best friend.

"I'm thinking too much…"

Claire pulled her mind away from the past, instead looking up and out over the land. It wasn't the same view as from the sky and the cloud-carriage, but it was still pretty amazing.

She sighed softly, resting her chin in her hands. It was almost going to be sad leaving this place. But on the other hand she _much_ preferred her imperfect Earth, where it might take twenty-five days to grow the pineapples, and they might get blown away by a storm but it was _always_ worth the effort.

Here… effort didn't seem like it was even _possible._ People talked, complained, and let those higher in the chain of command deal with it.

A frown crept across her face, and one hand dropped to the stone sill, fingers drumming an irregular rhythm.

In truth it reminded her a little of living in a dream-like state. Everything was so beautiful as to be almost… surreal.

She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder lightly, spinning defensively. Hikari took a step back, holding her hands out to show that she wasn't armed, and Claire relaxed, giving her friend a faint smile.

"You are a hard one to find," Hikari seemed a little put out. "What are you doing up here in the Tower of Memory?"

"Thinking," the blonde replied, leaning back against the stone. "Looking forward to going home, to be honest. No offense."

Hikari tilted her head fractionally, curiously.

"Why is that? These lands are the most beautiful place in all of the Kingdoms…"

"It's…. superficial," the farmer said after a minute. "The beauty, I mean. It's all surface beauty, but it's all made by the people behind the scenes, not by the people who display it. Kind of like a thin veneer of paint or polish, if you scratch at the coating, it might fleck away, and after that…"

She shrugged and shook her head, making her braid flip back and forth.

"You were looking for me?"

"Miharu was, actually," Hikari nodded slightly. "She wishes that I tell you of your tardiness."

Blue eyes blinked once, twice, thrice, and then the blonde smacked her forehead in exasperation. For a second, cat-green eyes glinted with something that looked like humor.

"I didn't think it'd been _that_ long," Claire sighed, turning towards the stairs. "Sorry to make you hunt for me Hikari."

"It was no bother," she said. And for a second an uncertain expression flickered across the Princess's face. "I was thinking about coming up to the Tower myself, to do some thinking. But come, we must hurry if you wish Miharu to be less upset."

Claire giggled, and preceded Hikari down the stairs, her steps light. The Princess followed, attempting to keep up. It wasn't her _intention_ to trip, but her new skirts were more cumbersome than she had anticipated, and she hadn't let her servants hem them properly before taking them out.

So inevitably, Hikari stepped on the front hem of her dress, and overbalanced into Claire. Both of them tumbled down the last of the stairs, and Claire—in her attempt to keep Hikari from getting hurt—hit the stone with a painful-sounding crack, and lay still, arms tight around Hikari's shoulders.

For all of three seconds, triumph filled those cat-green eyes. That was one obstacle down… right? Elation fled as quickly as it had come, as Hikari ran for a guard, and someone to fetch Miharu, as well as Skye and the missing children.

She hadn't wanted to admit it… but she was fond of the farmer. More fond of her than she was of following orders from _him_.

* * *

Tenshi flew in from one of the large, open-air windows, landing with more haste than decorum and bent to whisper into Skye's ear. The acting-king turned three shades paler, and tossed everything over to Daisuke, running out of the room as quickly as he could.

Whispers spread, queries and shock, as Tenshi repeated the words to Daisuke, this time as an explanation instead of an instigation. He nodded almost regally, and took up where Skye had left off as Tenshi launched herself for the skies again.

Things were being dropped all around the palace, by various small and not-so-small hands as the message was passed to family and family alone. Lauren immediately abandoned her sketchbook and pelted for the infirmary, Jamie at her heels.

Alan and Mirei had been fetched by a pair of messengers from the city where they had been playing with Yue and his friends, and the second they hit the stonework, they too were running.

Meri had _tried_ to run, but had found herself tripping over too much, and had allowed herself to be swept up by Haruka and carried to the infirmary.

Skye, naturally, arrived first, his legs being the longest. He flung the door open with no regard as to who might be behind it—thankfully there was no one—and slid past an apprentice healer over to the bed where Miharu was standing.

The head healer gave the Prince a stern look over her book.

"Elephant," she said crisply.

"Claire..? Is she?"

"Not deaf," the blonde muttered. "Heard you coming a mile away…"

The blonde was sitting up in the bed, a white bandage wrapped around her head, Hikari sat on the other side, and for a brief second Skye wondered if the Princess had been crying. But he pushed the thought away as he half-sat, half-collapsed onto the bed, and pulled Claire into a tight hug. She protested quite vocally as his hands landed on the bruises from the stairs, but didn't push him away.

An after a few second it didn't matter much anyways as all five children piled through the door in a rush and all but jumped on the bed to make sure their mother was okay. Claire bore this with a surprising amount of patience, a lot of complaining yelps, and gentle laughter and hands to wipe away the worried tears of the family.

Hikari slipped away in the confusion, but she didn't go unnoticed. Skye couldn't help being slightly suspicious, and Miharu noted that she hadn't gotten to treat the girl's ankle from the fall.

But when Claire was finally able to get breathing room, the Healer turned back to the farmer with a serious expression on her face.

"Claire, along with some rest… there's something you should know. It will hinder your return home."

"…what?" Claire couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"…You're pregnant."

For a long moment there was silence. Then, everyone began to speak at once, except for the frustrated farmer and her stunned husband.

Pregnancy had been what she'd hoped it _wasn't_. Even with her usual mild pregnancies, she really did _not_ need another child… But if her estimate was correct, it was too late to attempt to abort.

"You're a little over three months," Miharu had to raise her voice to be heard of the mix of excitement and confusion. "I… don't know whether I should be congratulating you or making apologetic noises."

"_Enough!_" Claire said sharply.

All talk ceased. Abruptly.

"Okay, Miharu, why can't I go home?"

Miharu exchanged looks with Skye, who answered instead, his face perturbed.

"If you go through a portal now, not only will it kill the baby… you'll die too."

Claire's jaw dropped slightly, and her eyes went wide. She held up a hand to forestall another outburst of babble from her children as she gathered her scattered wits.

"Your due date looks to be sometime near the middle of March," Miharu continued, her voice gentle. "I'm sorry, I know you were looking forward to going home quickly."

Claire just nodded mutely, and took several deep breaths. She _would not_ lose it in the infirmary, where anyone could—and would—walk in without warning.

"Can I take her back to our room?" Skye asked Miharu, knowing that Claire was teetering in a dangerous spot at that moment.

"Keep her awake for the next few hours, she hit her head pretty hard and even healing magic can't make falling asleep after a concussion safe," the healer nodded. "Five hours at the least. And try not to talk too loudly."

The last comment was aimed at the farmer, who scowled down at her blanket covered lap.

* * *

"Claire?"

"What?"

"Are you angry with me?"

A sigh, quiet and frustrated.

"No. I'm angry that I can't go home."

"But they're connected, my love."

"Skye…."

Blue eyes narrowed a little more, up at the prince-turned-thief-turned farmer and husband, in whose lap her head rested.

"Do you _want_ me to be mad at you?"

"Not in particular, but it would make sense. Ow!"

He rubbed his shoulder lightly as she huffed.

"It takes two," she said sharply. "So do be a dear and _drop it,_ before I actually think about snapping at you."

"It would make you feel better…"

"No," a sigh now. "It would make me feel guilty for yelling at you and taking things out on you."

Silence, almost thick enough to cut. Cloth rustled as the blonde slowly sat up, and made her wobbly way over to the window. Skye followed carefully, at a distance. He wanted to help but knew better than to offer it in her current haphazard state.

"I want to go _home_." The complaint was soft, pain-filled. "And now we have to wait until March before that can happen… It's just not _fair_."

_Now_ she turned to him, seeking shelter and solace. He couldn't blame her, he wanted to go home as well, as did the rest of the family. Slow tears soaked the front of his shirt, calling forth the memory of her reaction to her first pregnancy. She had been frightened, and uncertain.

"A week after the baby is born," he said quietly, "we'll be allowed to go home. And I promise you, we won't _ever_ have to come back, okay?"

She sniffled, nodded, and allowed him to soothe her.

* * *

_So now I have to wait til mid-March before I can go home. But at least… Well, Skye gets his sixth kid. I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl? Miharu didn't say how many there were either. I hope it's a single birth…_

_I asked Ten-chan to send a message to Jill too, telling her of our changed—_again_—return date. And Uncle Tak, and Muffy. Muffy will make sure that the rest of the people who know the truth find out._

_I'll… just have to put up with it. _

_At least _one_ thing is being predictable. My emotions are on the roller-coaster ride from hell._


	36. November 1, Fall, Year 36

**November 1, Fall, year 36**

Something's up with Toshihiro… He's been acting pretty strange. At least, strange for what I know of him. I mean…

Well, for example I catch him staring at me, with something along the lines of glee on his face. Yet when he notices I'm looking at him, he goes back to scowling. I don't know why…

But now that I think about it he seems almost _too_ happy that we're stuck here. I have to admit, were it me, I would want us gone as quickly as possible so that I don't have to be reminded daily of the fact that I'm _not_ the best, no matter how much I want to be.

I mean… while Yukiko and Hotaru were excited for me, and remorseful at the same time (stupid teleportation thing), he just seems _too pleased_ that we're going to be here for another six or so months.

Hmm… I could be over-thinking things. Still, it seems to me like something is off.

I guess I'm just jumping at shadows. Skye, Daisuke and Akio are still trying to pin down whoever murdered King Yasuo. I've been told that this is the longest case they've had since before their warring periods.

Apparently at the time of Yasuo's death, he was the only one _in_ the garden, and there were strict orders to keep everyone out. Well, excluding family, but according to them, everyone has an alibi.

I don't know why—until I do I can't offer an accusations—but I want to point at Toshihiro. It's been building up for a while, and it's not _just_ because of his usual attitude towards me. Heck, I _like_ snarking with him, messing with his worldview is a good way to relieve boredom! I doubt I change anything for more than a few days anyways, so it gives me an ongoing project.

I guess, of all the brothers, Toshi seems to be the one that comes off as the most neglected. To be bluntly honest, he's not exactly the most impressive of people, and even though Kaemon is crippled, he still seems to stand in the shadow of everyone except Yue. And he's _older_ than Kae too.

Hmm… Maybe my theory's not so cracked. If I remember my dreams correctly… I can now put names to the faces I saw and everyone was there _except_ for Toshihiro. But that's not exactly going to hold up in a law-court, even one like what this place has. Also, I have to get past the fact that the family seems pretty exempt from things.

That doesn't look right… Ah…. What I mean is, they're not looking to _hard_ at the family. Even with alibis, they all were questioned much less than I would have expected.

I wonder if maybe _I_ shouldn't start tracking him? At least for a short while, before he pregnancy starts making me too… big.

I had to send Ten-chan down for some of my maternity clothes. Never thought I'd be getting preggers up _here_ of all places. Guess that's what I get for not being more careful. Or paying more attention. I've been pregnant quite a bit and yet this _still_ always manages to catch me off-guard.

Ah, I also had her send a message to Muffy, Jill and Jack. I'm hoping for maybe a few letters in response, if not verbal messages. Probably scoldings about getting pregnant. If they do, I shall deliver smacks when I get home. Hehe.

Miharu says that she's going to fetch me later—probably an hour or so from now—and run me through a series of tests to determine how many babies I'll have, and how healthy I currently am.

The latter is kinda silly, since I'm _quite_ healthy, but she's the doctor… healer, whatever, she knows best. And I admit, it'll be something to do.

The kids seem to be excited about it, at least. And Skye's strutting around like a peacock. Always the proud Papa, that one. It makes me giggle to watch, because he _always_ does this. I don't know what he's more proud of the multiple children or just the fact that he can _have_ offspring.

But he always becomes extra loving to _all_ the kids, trying to reassure them that they won't become second in our affections just because they're getting siblings.

Jamie and Laurie seem pretty happy, but they're old pros at this sort of thing. Laurie's even old enough to help out a little more than she could with Alan and Mirei. I have this sneaking suspicion that I'm going to need more help.

Alan and Mirei… well, Alan's hoping for a younger brother to play with, and Mieri wants me to have another girl. I had to explain to the both of them that I don't get to chose the gender. Which led to some very amusing comments about games and reset buttons.

And Meri's just excited. She likes being the youngest, but at the same time I think she wants someone to play with who'll wait up for her more than Mirei will.

She's been more clingy too, the poor thing is nervous as well. She needs extra hugs and a lot more 'I love you's' than she has in a while. But this is expected, she's suddenly not going to be the youngest of the family.

Mmm… I'm excited myself, but more languid than anything else. I still can't believe I didn't notice, but as I've said before this place sort of inspires a dream-like quality that's… really freaking mesmerizing as far as attention goes.

Oop, Miharu's here, gotta go.

* * *

Oh…. My.

_Triplets?!_ This is _not_ going to be easy…

As Skye faints. No really, he did. I don't know whether to laugh or be dismayed. Jamie's getting some water to bring him around…

This means I'm going to have to let out even my _maternity_ clothing…. Wow. And _names!_ I'm really going to have to think up some good ones this time around!


	37. November 17, Fall, Year 36

**November 17, Fall, year 36**

_Protective is one thing, over-protective is another. Someone's going to get _smacked_ if they don't knock it off…_

_Dang it, I thought we were _over_ this… Errrgh…_

_

* * *

_

Claire sat on one side of the room, Skye stood on the other. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

The argument was a simple one. He didn't want her over-exerting herself, and she felt fine enough to wander around. Maybe sometime in the near future, once her stomach bulged out more than an inch or two beyond normal, she would feel bad enough to stay sitting for a while.

"We've _had_ this argument before," iron control laced Claire's words, but the anger simmered underneath. "I _know_ my own limits. You're being both paranoid and ridiculous."

"R-ridiculous?!" Skye spluttered. "Claire, while you may have made _friends_, you've also made a great deal of _enemies_ in this place! I'm not going to risk having one of _them_ find out that you're carrying children. Who _knows_ what they might come up with!"

The blonde pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to ease the tension of a frustration headache. While he had a good point he seemed to be forgetting several fundamental details.

"_One_," her voice was tight with anger. "I don't go anywhere alone. In case you hadn't _noticed_, I tend to have either Hikari, Ten-chan, or one of your siblings following in my footsteps. Do you have _any_ _idea_ how annoying it is to want to be alone and no one will _allow_ it? _Two!_" and she cut him off before he could speak, "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself! How many years have I been working on the farm?"

The question was rhetorical, and Skye found himself once again on the losing end of the battle. Since this argument had been repeating itself at least once a day over the past week since Hoshiko's birthday, it was understandable that he would start losing.

The door to the children's room was open slightly, and four pairs of eyes watched the argument. This was likely to be make-or-break day, the fighting would end with one of them as the winner.

But which one?

"Chores for a week it's Mom," Lauren whispered. "The only time she concedes an argument is when she runs out of reason to fight."

"No way," Jamie hissed back. "Dad's _got_ to win this one, he's trying to protect her."

Silence stretched five, ten minutes. Neither Claire nor Skye was budging. In fact, what broke the tension with a snap wasn't anything they did, but the door being tossed open—rather spectacularly—and another argument spilling in from the hallway.

One that made even _Claire_ take cover. Hatoko and Arashi were fighting again. The specifics couldn't be understood—Claire caught a word here and there, and something about a brother—but the argument was getting dangerous enough that she abandoned her position on the bed, choosing instead to take cover behind it, in case Ameko wasn't with them.

Skye's own eyes widened in more-than-mild alarm, and he took several quick steps to cover the ground between the bickering girls and the open door. Before he could get to them, Suiren darted into the room 'accidentally' impacting him and sending them both tumbling to the floor.

Lauren growled slightly under her breath. She didn't _like_ Suiren, there was something about her that was too manipulative, worse even than the attempts that Tsukiko made. Not that many people took heed of it.

Thankfully, Ameko intervened, her gentle voice cutting across the other two girl's, and sending them both into a sheepish, sulky silence. Skye gently set Suiren on her feet and Claire came out from behind the bed.

The six Princesses made their way into the room, followed by a rather hassled looking Daisuke and Toshihiro.

"We came to collect you for the Bamboo float," Tsuyu smiled shyly at Claire. "We did not mean for them to start arguing…"

Daisuke rubbed his temples, and muttered something under his breath that made Toshi kick him. Claire deduced what it was after a second and brought up a hand to hide her grin. Skye's snort was audible, and Toshi's glare transferred from Daisuke to Skye, who didn't even _try_ to look remorseful.

"Don't worry about it," Claire replied, dusting herself off. "Something needed to break the monotony around here, why not a few destructive fights?"

* * *

The Bamboo float was near-identical to the one on Earth. Wishes were written on or tacked to small bamboo boats and floated down a river—in this case, the largest river of the Moon kingdoms, that flowed into the Sea of Tranquility—and if they floated out of sight without sinking, the wishes were supposed to come true.

The familiarity of the festival was more of a balm than coming to any agreement about Claire's protection, and some wish-rafts even had little candles floating on them. It had the air… of a true party. There were booths selling foods, games for playing, things to look at and buy…

Hikari had joined them once they had mingled into a crowd and for once the Princess seemed to be genuinely pleased about something.

* * *

This _could not_ be happening. The plans couldn't be falling apart so _quickly_! He didn't dare threaten that fool of a wench who had changed sides on him, she would go to _them_, and then everything truly _would_ be in tatters.

There was another girl though, who wanted _him_, but hadn't the skills. _She_ could do the threatening perhaps, and take the brunt of the blame. They would both have to be killed in the end…

Yes. A shift in plans, but if carried out properly, it would be quite successful. More death, but then, that had been inevitable since the beginning. It was good that the fool female had gotten with child, trapping all of them there, even if her innate talent for making friends out of enemies _did_ wreak all types of havoc with the neatly laid plans.

* * *

"Arguing?" Hikari seemed surprised. "But I do not understand why…"

Claire shook her head slightly, annoyance and amusement flicking across her face.

"It's stupid really," she sighed, leaning back against a tree. "He's trying to wrap me in wool again, to keep me safe, but it's smothering. I know _why_ he does it, but it's the doing that peeves me."

"Perhaps…. You should humor him," Hikari's voice was quiet as she looked up at the flawless blue of the sky. "I cannot reveal everything just yet, but there are… Claire, there are many dangers that are waiting for you here, and I do not wish to see you as the next to die."

Claire gave her friend a sharp glance.

"You know something?" she kept her voice soft as well, but it was clear that she wanted to know. "Hikari, what?"

"I cannot, not at this time," the Princess sighed. "I am too… deeply entangled as of yet. Once I have freed myself fully, I shall explain all, this I promise."

The blonde studied her friend, and Hikari let her. Finally Claire gave the cat-eyed woman a one-armed hug, and sighed.

"So _difficult_ to get anyone to give me straight answers," she muttered.

* * *

Hikari left Claire with her family, and went to wander the festivities alone. She couldn't face him right now, and didn't dare to tell anyone the truth of how far she had fallen.

As much as she hated to admit it, Claire's good-nature had pushed aside something within her. It's hard to bear someone resentment when they don't hate you right back. It's even harder when they treat you like an equal, and then a friend.

Hikari had never _had_ friends. She was a Princess, and the royalty weren't encouraged to be friends. And then along came the farmer, and suddenly things were starting to change. People who had never been interested in the Earth were starting to wonder what it might be like to have a hand in the lands again, whispers were being made of allowing permits again, so that visits could be made, procedures so that immigration could be done…

How could one small, insignificant person, who had done absolutely _nothing_, change their world so utterly?

A hand landed on her shoulder, making the cat-green-eyed Princess jump. She looked up into a pair of chilly grey eyes, and had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Suiren looked up at Hikari.

"As one Princess to another," and her voice was saccharinely sweet, "I do believe that I require a favor."

* * *

_So Hikari's in a SNAFU, or maybe even a FUBAR situation, and until she can extract herself from any danger of blame she won't tell me about it._

_What a night, what a night…_


	38. November 24, Fall, Year 36

**November 24, Fall, year 36**

_I am going to _kill_ that little princess… Though first maybe I should yell at Hikari, since I _know_ she had to have a hand in this. Suiren doesn't _have_ any power. Not the kind that can alter memories of the past…_

_I suppose this was brought on by the fact that Daisuke chose to marry Tsuyu last night. _Still! _By which I mean he _picked_ Tsuyu, as opposed to anyone else. Geh…_

* * *

It had been a busy day for Skye. Kaemon had been pulling out books at Akio's request, and since he wasn't able to cart them up and down the stairs or across the palace, it fell to Skye.

Between trips he was also hurrying back to his room to check on Claire, who had agreed to spend the day indoors as long as he walked with her through the gardens later on.

The prince-turned-thief-turned-farmer let out a tired sigh, and sat for a brief moment at the base of the stairs leading between Akio's office and Kaemon's library. Already he was tired. It didn't help that Akio was requesting some of the thicker, heavier books from Kaemon's stacks.

"Prince Sora, are you alright?"

Suiren stood at the base of the stairs, fine silver brows drawn together in worry. Skye waved a hand lightly, in an almost dismissive gesture.

"I'm fine Princess," he replied with a faint smile. "My brothers are keeping me hopping today."

"You are the eldest, why do you not ask them to let you be?" Suiren tilted her head slightly, coquettishly, folding her arms behind her back to push out her chest.

"It's no trouble," his response startled her. "We're family, and they've certainly indulged me enough _as_ the eldest."

The concept of family bonds was clearly alien to her and Skye gave a briefly amused chuckle. It had been alien to him as well until he had gone to live on the Earth. Most families on Earth had siblings who _weren't_ in obvious competition among themselves.

Well, at least, the ones _he'd_ seen, which had been quite a few. Sure there were the dysfunctional ones but there were also the wonderful ones.

"Would you at least like a drink?" Suiren asked after a moment. "If you've been running up and down those stairs so often…"

"Hmmm," and Skye winked a sea-green eye at her in an almost cheeky fashion. "That actually sounds like a good idea, and it will give Kaemon time to find the books Akio wants."

Suiren seemed pleased that he'd accepted the suggestion so easily. She didn't understand that living with Claire had meant a lot of fun attempts at 'compromising,' before solutions were worked out.

Still, it made it all the more easy for her. All she had to do was make sure that she put the potion into his cup, and everything would turn out _just_ the way she wanted. _That_ would show that rotten Tsuyu and stupid Daisuke.

* * *

"What do you _mean_ he's in the healer's room?" Claire demanded softly, gripping Tenshi's hand. "Is he alright?!"

"He is unconscious at the moment Claire," Tenshi patted her friend's hand sympathetically. "Miharu sent me to fetch you, she thinks it would be best if a familiar face was nearby when he woke."

"R-right," the blonde gave herself a mental shake, and let go of her friend. "Sorry…"

"It is quite alright," and the messenger smiled gently. "I would be distraught myself hearing such news."

It took Claire only a few minutes more to inform her children—and request that they remain in the room until she returned—before she was out the door, moving as quickly as she could. With the loose fit of her farming clothes, unless one looked close, it was still a little tricky to tell that she was three months along with triplets.

Claire knew that soon enough it would change, and her mobility would be swiftly limited, but until that time came she would continue to run as fast as she could.

Tenshi kept to a more sedate pace, letting the blonde work out her nerves in the sprint to Miharu's domain.

* * *

Claire carefully poked her head through the door, looking for Miharu, and by proxy, her husband. After a few minutes of careful scanning—she was starting to be able to tell Miharu from her three assistants at last, from behind—she slipped to the far end of the room where the head healer was waiting for her.

"Is he alright?" the farmer took the stool that Miharu pushed in her direction without complaint.

"According to Suiren, who delivered him, he'd apparently been running books between his brothers for several hours without a break," Miharu shook her head lightly. "Silly clutch offered him water on an empty stomach and then panicked when he went down. Nobles…"

Claire let out a soft sigh of relief, tension easing out of her shoulders.

"Other than a few bruises from sliding down a couple of stares," Claire covered a grin with her hand at Miharu's tone, "he should be fine once he wakes. Fear not."

The blonde reached out and lightly grasped her husband's hand, relief making her slightly giddy, even though he was still out of it. If that was all it was, she could easily wait.

She didn't notice that Suiren was standing in the corner, her white clothes and silver hair blending her into almost pure invisibility against the white stone walls of the infirmary. Her grey eyes glowed with cruel glee as she waited for the potion she'd bribed out of Hikari to take effect.

Once it did, the farm-woman would be out of the way, and _she_ would be number one. But first, she had to wait and see.

It almost made Suiren wish for a recording crystal, though the faceted rainbow would have given her away in seconds.

* * *

Sora groaned a little bit as he started to come around. What had he been doing that had him aching, and feeling as though he'd fallen down a couple of stairs? The last thing he recalled with Suiren giving him something to drink…

A hand gently squeezed his, and a soft voice reached his ears.

"I though _I_ was supposed to be the one giving heart attacks."

It was… a familiar voice. The tone was a mixture of dry exasperation, warmth, and worried amusement. But for his _life_ he couldn't attach it to a name or a face.

So instead, he opened his eyes and looked up.

She _was_ pretty, though clearly not from the Moon. Bright gold hair like hers had to be from Earth, and those blue eyes… Sora found himself frowning a little in confusion. There was the niggling in the back of his mind that he _should_ know this woman, who gazed on him with such worry. But her name escaped him.

Why?

The blonde woman reached out with her other hand, a worried frown of her own crossing her face.

"Skye? Are you alright?"

It took him several minutes to form the right words to express his confusion.

"Do I _know_ you?"

The sudden stillness of her face made him wonder if he'd said something wrong. Abruptly she stood, releasing his hand, and turned.

"I'll be right back," she said. "I'm going to get Miharu."

Sora slowly sat up as she walked away, and rubbed his head lightly in confusion. What in the world had _that_ been about? And why did he feel like he'd done something wrong?

His hand was still warm where she'd held it.

Claire's heart thumped almost painfully in her chest as she tracked down the healer and repeated the conversation she'd had with Skye. Miharu immediately grabbed her assistant and put her to working on the papers, then moved quickly to the former Prince's side.

He looked almost relieved to see the healer, and uncertain about Claire's presence.

"It's good that you're awake," Miharu said, pulling up the stool that Claire had vacated. "How are you feeling?"

"A little… fuzzy," Sora admitted. "I feel a little disjointed and out of place…"

"Hmmm…" Miharu's lips pursed in a slight frown. "I'm going to do a quick magical scan on you, all right?"

Sora blinked, then nodded after a moment. For some reason, despite the fact that he _knew_ he was married to Suiren, he couldn't keep from staring at the blonde over Miharu's shoulder. There was just something about her that attracted his attention.

Where _was_ Suiren anyways? Sure they'd come to see Daisuke's pick of a wife—it was about time he got married—but she should have been right there, the way the blonde had been. Right? Was _that_ what felt off?

He shivered a little as a pale green light flowed over him, Miharu's magic. The healer's frown deepened, but instead of telling him what was wrong, she turned to the blonde.

"Claire, wait here a moment please," she said. "I need to check something."

"Miharu, what?"

"It may be nothing…" and the healer tried to smile for the blonde, though she was worried herself. "I just need to see something in my records, alright?"

"Well," Claire sighed, "okay Miharu."

Silence descended as the healer left them, an uncertain one. Claire didn't know what to do with herself, and was honestly doing her best to suppress the panic that was clawing at the back of her throat. So when Sora cleared his throat, she jumped about a foot, and nearly tripped over the stool.

Per his usual reflexes, Sora was out of his bed and supporting her before she fell more than a few inches. He carefully set her on the stool, before sitting back down himself, and did his level best to _not_ wonder why holding her like that had felt both familiar and nice.

"So uhm… Claire, is it?"

He had no idea why his question made her uncertainty fade into unhappiness and look like she wanted to cry, but he found himself wanting to fix that. She would look _much_ prettier with a smile on her face.

"Y-yes," she whispered, voice thick with suppressed emotion. "I'm Claire."

"Did I say something wrong?" his brows drew together in worry and he reached out to carefully, lightly touch her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry f I did… everything feels slightly disjointed right now."

"You… According to Suiren you _did_ hit your head," and Claire took several deep breaths to reign herself back in. "So feeling a little out of place is expected."

She tried to smile, but the worry lining her brow defeated it. And she couldn't look into confused sea-green eyes for very long without feeling like something inside of her was breaking apart.

"Claire, come here for a moment!"

With a mixture of relief and sorrow, the blonde obeyed with more speed than decorum, leaving Sora to wonder just what he _had_ said to distress such a lovely young woman. And to wonder where her husband was. The woman—Claire, he reminded himself. A cute name for her—was clearly pregnant, and as such shouldn't be left alone to sit at the beside of the Prince who would soon enough be leaving back to Moisture Palace.

Well, once his brother was crowned, he would. Until then he would be a guest, in the same quarters as Suiren. His old ones had been refurbished for the use of… of…?

His thoughts paused as Suiren moved from her corner, and he gave his wife a warm smile. She smiled back, triumphantly, and leaned in to lightly touch his face.

He was now _all_ hers.

* * *

"His memories have been altered," Miharu said softly, once Claire was seated. "Suiren must have received help, there are very few people who have that power. In fact there's only _one_ in residence now."

The look she gave Claire, made the blonde's heart sink.

"Hikari," she mumbled, "right?"

"Correct. I can't reverse what it's done to him without finding out the ingredients Hikari used in her spell, as well as the strength of the magic itself."

The blonde covered her face briefly with her hands, and let out several long shuddering breaths, before thoughts started to clamor in her mind, each vying for supremacy.

Hikari _herself_ had been slated to marry Skye. So where was Hikari now? Why wasn't she there to see the outcome of her potion, and her _success_? At the very _least_, even gloating, Claire knew that Hikari wasn't above that.

Which meant that while Hikari might have _made_ the potion, she hadn't done it for herself.

"Miharu, is someone by Skye now?"

Miharu blinked, looking down at the blonde. How anyone could have slipped by them when they were in the main corridor to go be with the former prince… But dutifully she checked, and found her jaw dropping slightly at the sight of Suiren standing next to Skye's bed.

"Princess Suiren? But how did she..?"

"My guess is she was waiting," Claire's voice was soft. "In white and silver you all blend into the walls pretty easily, and she's very fond of those two colors."

Sorrow and hurt was slowly shifting over to burning rage. Anger at Suiren for being duplicitous like this because she had _lost_ in the 'game' to win Daisuke, anger at Hikari for giving her the ability to change Skye's memories, and—even though it felt misplaced—anger at Skye for not being able to resist it.

"Miharu, I'm going back to the rooms. I need to…. I need to think. To talk with the children."

The healer eyed her friend and student in worry. The expression in Claire's eyes was anything _but_ comforting. Fire burned in those blue eyes, the banked kind of fire that spoke of a dangerous temper.

"And after that I'm going to go have a _talk_ with Hikari."

* * *

The explanation wasn't an easy one, and was met with varying degrees of disbelief and utter shock.

Jamie did what Claire had wanted to do, and sat with a sudden, abrupt thud.

Lauren turned around, went to the nearest piece of wood—in this case several shelves that had been removed from the bookshelves lining the room—and broke them. Effortlessly.

Alan and Mirei started to pelt their mother with questions.

And Meri began to cry.

Claire sat in the middle, an island of calm. The only sign of the growing anger within her was the way her blue eyes flashed in response to a couple of the questions that were asked. And the questioning didn't last long either as first Mirei then Alan dissolved into tears, as it registered that their father wasn't going to be coming back to them any time soon.

The three crying children turned to their mother, who soothed them effectively and efficiently, letting them cry themselves into slumber. Jamie looked down at the floor, at a loss for words. His father… not coming back?

"How can you be so _calm_ about this Mom?" Lauren demanded, her voice choked. "How are we gonna get Dad back?!"

"Lauren," Claire's voice made her oldest daughter instantly silent. It was almost akin to the voice that she used when they were in trouble and had actually managed to make their mother more than a little pissed. "I'll handle it."

Instinctively, Lauren nodded, ducking her head slightly. Being on the receiving end of _that_ voice was more than slight unnerving.

"I need you and Jamie to keep an eye on the younger ones while I do, however," Claire continued. "I don't know how much of Skye's memory has been altered, but if he doesn't remember me it's highly likely that he won't remember any of you either, and I don't want to expose the younger ones to that."

Jamie and Lauren exchanged looks then nodded again. Alan and Mirei might get it a little, but Meredith? Not in the slightest.

"Mom?" The silver haired teen ducked his head slightly as she turned her gaze in his direction. "What's going to happen now?"

"Now…?" Claire paused briefly. "I'm going to talk to Kaemon, first of all, then track down Hikari. Kaemon might be able to help me find a solution to all of this…"

And of Skye's family, he was the only one she wanted to talk to.

* * *

She found Kaemon hidden in the stacks, looking a little annoyed. But his annoyance faded into surprise, then worry when he saw her. Clearly, Miharu had beaten her to the library.

There were several books near him, and he gestured to them almost apologetically.

"This was all I could find, but I know there's more in the older parts of the library."

The books were all about mental manipulations, and how to beat them, or bring back someone who had fallen prey to them, in lieu of the original spell-caster. Claire attempted to smile, but the hard knot of anger in her chest made it difficult to even _fake_ being cheerful.

Kaemon wisely didn't touch her, but he gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry, we'll figure this out," he promised. "Here, start with this one, it's already got the translation spell on it."

* * *

_I spent the rest of the day in the library. Tomorrow I start with hunting down that rat Hikari, finding out what she did and making her _fix_ it._

_Miharu told me that Skye left with Suiren, who was making all sorts of lovey-dovey faces at him. Guh…. I'm _so_ going to wipe that smirk from her face!_


	39. November 27, Fall, Year 36

**November 27, Fall, year 36**

_I didn't find Hikari… she found me. Well, rather, the girls _brought_ her to me. And…_

_

* * *

_

Claire hadn't been sleeping very well. It was strange attempting to sleep with no Skye beside her to hold her during the night, or tease her about the bump of her stomach. She couldn't hear his breath when she woke in the middle of the night, or feel his chest pressed against her back.

In between her runs to the library to learn more about mind-altering magic and potions—something that Claire knew the Witch Princess excelled in, at least more than her regular spells—she tried to track down Hikari. The hard knot of anger still hadn't vanished from its place at under her breastbone, but it hadn't grown any larger.

Of course, _tried_ was the operative word. No matter how hard she'd looked, Hikari had been as elusive as the weather was steady and about as impossible to track down as a wingless animal.

It had been three days since Skye had gone to Suiren's room, and Claire couldn't help but wonder what they were up to. At the same time, her mind shied away from the thoughts, the pain that they caused was too much… even for her.

The blonde let out a long, pained sigh as she climbed the stairs again to the Tower of Memory, in hopes that Hikari would be there.

But it was empty, as it had been the last two times she'd checked. The farmer let out a frustrated sigh and sank onto the nearest bench, leaning her head back against the stone.

"Hikari, where _are_ you?" her blue eyes flashed in anger. "This stopped being funny a _while_ ago."

Last night she'd had another dream, of the blue glass knife, and the sound of running feet. It had taken her almost two hours to get back to sleep after that, a prospect made even more difficult by the fact that she had no one to run _too_.

It _had_ been a bit of a surprise though, to learn that while Tsukiko wasn't pleased with Claire as a daughter-in-law, she was _less_ pleased about the way that Skye had been manipulated and tricked into believing that Suiren was his wife.

It was weird to be on the same side as the Queen, Claire mused, absently twirling her braid around her fingers. Heck, even _Toshihiro_ was on her side in this, seeming less pleased over it than even his mother, which was—as Karen would have said—about three blocks south of the Twilight Zone and approaching at a fast clip.

The blonde closed her blue eyes tightly. She had managed to prevent tears for the past three days. She _had_ to be strong, and not give in to despair. If she didn't who would look after her children, who would keep _their_ hopes up that this situation could be fixed?

Footsteps, sharp and quick, snapped her out of her reverie, and Claire tensed slightly. She really didn't want any company. Shifting position, she opened her eyes, and blinked as Arashi and Hatoko appeared at the top of the stairs, hauling Hikari between them. Reiko and Ameko trailed behind, likely to make sure that the captured Princess didn't attempt to make a break for it.

Hikari couldn't look at Claire, her gaze was firmly rooted to the floor. She had a look similar to the farm-woman's, bags under her red-rimmed eyes attesting to long, sleepless 'nights,' apparently filled with weeping.

"We found her hiding in one of the lower libraries," Ameko said softly. "It took some doing but we brought her to you, so that you can have the full story that you wish."

Claire didn't know whether to be pleased, surprised, or a little bit of both. It explained Reiko's presence in detail. With the Princess of the Sleep Palace standing there, everything that anyone said would be nothing but the truth.

"We might have lost out to Tsuyu," Hatoko sighed, "but at least we took it with dignity. Suiren obviously couldn't, and we're not _about_ to let a spoiled brat like her wreak havoc."

"Yes," Arashi agreed. "There are just some things that one does not do, and _certainly_ not like this."

Surprise won out. It was the first time Claire had seen Arashi and Hatoko _agree_ on _anything_. Slowly she got to her feet, running a hand over her hair.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I truly do appreciate this."

The princesses smiled, and Arashi elbowed Hikari forward. The cat-green-eyed woman stumbled slightly, then sank to her knees, head bowed, as cream-colored skirts formed a pool around her.

Claire frowned. This obeisance was actually a little frightening.

"Hikari, why did you do it?" she demanded. "I thought you were my _friend!_"

"Between a fragile thing like friendship and a threat of war, I had to put my kingdom before myself," Hikari's voice was dull, emotionless. "Suiren wanted Skye, as I did in the past, and threatened to bring dangerous accusations to her homeland if I did not comply."

"Can you fix it?" Claire's despair leeched into her voice. "Can you bring my husband back to me?"

"I… can." The reluctance to admit that was clear. "It will take some time, but I can return Skye to the person he was. Claire, I…" and now the Princess looked up, eyes pleading, "truly I am sorry."

"Apologies won't fix things," and the blonde's voice was cold. "Nor will it return the broken trust. Work with Miharu, and I want to know _every_ step. I don't want to have this happen again, with a _different_ person as the recipient."

Hikari flinched, looking down at her hands. Claire's anger was deserved, and the Princess knew full well that had it been before she knew the blonde, that would have been the first idea that popped into her mind. Switching Skye's heart from Suiren to herself.

Ameko rested a gentle hand on Claire's shoulder, her green eyes sympathetic and worried. Tension vibrated along the blue-eyed woman's frame, her work-roughened hands clenched into tight fists.

"Lady Claire, she _is_ sorry," Ameko's voice was gentle. "You know she can say nothing but the truth…"

"Yeah well, in this case, 'sorry' doesn't cut it Ame," Claire snapped. "Through _her_ machinations and abilities I _lost_ my husband."

She had to cut herself off, she felt the rise of tears over the anger, and she would _not_ give in to them.

"I'm going to check with Miharu daily," she said when she got herself back under control, "so you'd better be working on this."

Before she could say anything else—and there was _so_ much bubbling in her throat—Claire turned sharply on her heel and started down the stairs.

Arashi and Hatoko exchanged looks. They had dangerous tempers, but somehow, seeing Claire angry was scarier than whatever destruction they could cause. Even knowing that she had no magic suited to attacking or defending—for Earth-based and healing abilities weren't _that_ deadly—it was still… unnerving.

Hikari slowly got to her feet, clearly struggling to retain her own composure. Ameko and Reiko both took pity on the Vaporous Palace Princess, and hugged her gently, allowing her the safety to release unshed tears.

"They encourage us to be so competitive," Ameko sighed. "And to not care about the competition."

"Like it's so easy," Arashi sorted, folding her arms over her black top. "Tranquility and Serenity are the _worst_ for holding onto the old ideals."

"Our palaces are not much better," Reiko said softly. "Perhaps it is time to take a leaf from the books of the People on Earth, and begin to make changes."

* * *

Claire made her way into the garden, desperately needing to be alone, and wound her way among the flowers until she found an out-of-the-way niche with a cloud-cushioned bench. She half-sat, half collapsed onto in, and there, finally, she let the tears come.

Her body shook with the sobs and she curled up on the bench, wrapping her arms around herself. Depression overwhelmed her. Everything was just becoming… too much.

* * *

Sora had finally escaped Suiren's clutches, with no small amount of relief. He'd thought she'd be _over_ the clingy 'must-show-off-the-husband' stage by now. Hadn't they been married for the past fifteen years?

It was a shame that she didn't want children just yet… He'd always wanted some. But then again, trying to imagine Suiren as a loving, attentive mother..

His thoughts were cut off as the blonde from the infirmary passed through his mind, a teary, uncertain smile on her face. Her voice seemed to echo in his thoughts, almost sounding afraid.

The sea-green eyed Prince shook his head rapidly. This had been happening several times in the past three days. No matter what he did, Claire wasn't too far from his mind.

Especially when Suiren was getting stubborn about things, or insisting that he watch her parade around in court finery. He had the sneaking suspicion that not only would the blonde have laughed at some of the finery, she would have made some sharp comment about the general style.

The family garden had always been his favorite place to relax, and it was here that he had chosen too retreat to and think. Though it had been three days since his visit to the infirmary, he still felt that something was disjointed and out of place in his mind.

It made it so that he didn't really want to do more than lightly kiss Suiren, and she was always trying to start something more, to push him into a place where he didn't want to go.

And always, the face of Claire hovered on the outskirts of his thoughts, smiling, laughing, crying, frightened, upset…

Why could he picture her face so easily, in so many different ways, while when he tried to picture Suiren all he could find was a smirking smile, or her saccharinely sweet one?

He ran a hand through his hair, then stuffed both deep into the pockets of his black pants. He shouldn't be thinking about another woman anyways, he _should_ be concentrating on helping Akio find out who killed their father. That was the other reason he'd been here for so many months, right?

The sound of dull sobbing caught his attention as he walked down one path, and Sora's footsteps slowed. Who could be crying in the garden where only family was allowed? Was one of his sister's hurt?

The thought of someone hurting Kimiko or Hotaru irked him… but those tears sounded almost familiar. A flash of blonde hair, and it was more than minorly irking, anger filled him. Why did thoughts of her getting hurt bring his blood to a boil?

He quickly rounded a corner and saw what he had half-expected to find. Claire, her back to the path, curled up on one of the benches, in a niche that hardly anyone knew existed.

And she was crying in a way that suggested she'd been at it for some time.

Sora hesitated, uncertain of his welcome. It was one thing to comfort a family member, but quite another to comfort someone he couldn't get out of his mind. He moved to step back, but the crunch of the gravel under his feet caught Claire's attention.

Her shoulders tensed, as she fought to swallow her sobs again, and hastily rubbed at her eyes. Who could have found her in such an often-overlooked spot? Who would have _thought_ to look there…?

Sora winced a little as she looked over her shoulder at him. Tear-filled eyes went wide with shock and surprise and she turned away again instantly, to focus on the hedge before her eyes.

"I'm… sorry," he said hastily, "I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's…" her voice was choked, and she had to close her eyes tightly for a few seconds. "It's okay… I g-guess technically… I'm the one doing the intruding."

She wiped her eyes again, and slowly started to sit up. Sora brought his hands up in protest.

"No please, stay," his voice was gentle, concerned. "A place like this is good to let emotions out, because of its solitude."

For a brief moment Claire recalled their conversation of three days prior.

* * *

_"If I stay inside today, what do I get out of it?_"

_"Once I'm done running around like a chicken with my head cut off," this caused her to giggle, "we can go walking in the garden, how does that sound?"_

_"Okay!"_

_

* * *

_

"But sometimes, being alone is the hardest thing in the world," the words were so soft that Sora had to pause a moment to let them filter in. "Living alone, crying alone…"

Claire swallowed hard, and looked down at her hands in her lap. Control. She had to regain control. This was fixable, things could go back to normal.

She jumped a little as Sora sat next to her on the bench.

"Would you like to talk about it?" his words caused a fresh spate of tears to build up. "There has to be some reason that a pretty girl like you is so unhappy…"

More than anything, Sora wanted to see a smile on her face. Even if this annoyed or hurt Suiren, Claire… something about Claire put her higher up on the scale of importance. And he refused to think about it.

"It's… complicated," she sighed, reaching up to rub at her eyes again. "No… offense meant, but I don't think you'd get it."

"Try me."

It was little surreal to try and figure out how to explain things to Skye, who would have normally remonstrated with her… then again if he was still himself, Claire wouldn't have felt such despair.

The silver-haired prince had to hide a faintly amused smile at the expressions passing over her face. She really had quite the variety of ways to express confusion, frustration, and uncertainty all at once. From the way her hands moved restlessly, to the swirl of emotion in her eyes, to the way her brow furrowed in thought.

She was cute. No, more than cute, she was a beauty in her own right. He found himself… regretting his marriage to Suiren. This girl… no, human though she might be she was definitely a woman, definitely was an intriguing puzzle.

"I want to go home," she murmured after long moments of silence had passed. "Where I know my friends won't betray me and give my husband things that change him into someone else, where I can feel the life of the earth under my hands, where I can hear the roaring of the waterfall as I go fishing…"

"Your husband is missing? Who did this, maybe I can help…"

She turned her face away, a few tears slipping down her cheeks.

"No one can help but the person who caused the mess," her voice, though low, was sharp.

Then her shoulder's slumped slightly, and she hung her head.

"But I guess I can't be too angry with her… she was threatened with war, and friendship doesn't beat that out. _Obviously._"

The pain, mixed with sarcasm and anger, worried Sora, and he reached out to lay a careful hand on Claire's shoulder, as his mind assimilated the facts.

Definitely a Princess had caused this pain. The 'she' and threat of war meant that it was at least two. Rivals then, one of whom had been forced into providing something for the other to remove the blonde from the equation? Or the husband at least.

But that didn't make any sense. Why Princesses? Why not a Prince? Surely a woman as pretty as this could attract one of…

She stiffened, and he realized that his hand had gone from a bare touch, to a gentle caress. Instantly he stopped and started to stammer an apology, which she cut off with a light touch of her hand to his.

"It's okay," she whispered, looking down at her lap. "It's not… your fault. I'm sorry, I have to go."

She all but jumped off the bench, staggered, and would have fallen—her legs were numb from being sat on—had Sora not been there to catch her.

"You sit," he said firmly, pushing her back onto the bench. "You're distressed, and pregnant. When was the last time you ate anything? Have you been getting enough sleep?"

The litany of questions continued, all in a stern, scolding tone, until he realized that she'd ducked her head again and her shoulders were shaking. His brows drew together in worry. Had he made her cry?

In a way… she _was_ crying, but at the same time she was trying to smother giggles. Even with an altered mind he was still so much the same, still so much the man that she loved.

It felt like she was being ripped apart even as he tried in a misguided way to help her. Why did Fate have to test her this way? Why did they have to be tested at all?

Slowly, Claire pulled herself back from the brink of hysteria, and rubbed her face again. When she looked up, he wasn't standing, rather he was crouched down, a hand resting worriedly against her knee.

"If I run to fetch something to eat and drink, will you be alright?" he asked. "If you don't want me to come back…."

"No!" Claire's protest startled them both. She blushed a little, and looked down at his hand instead. "I mean… you're welcome to come back… I promise I won't move."

His smile was warm, and gentle, and he regretted letting go as much as she regretted losing the feel of his hand.

"Well then I'll be back in two shakes."

A muffled giggle slipped out before she could stop it, even as he slipped away. It was weak, but oddly enough it gave him comfort to hear that something he'd said had amused her.

What the heck were 'two shakes' anyway?

* * *

They stayed in the garden together for several hours, not really talking. Claire seemed… content to just have him nearby, so Sora decided to remain with her until she decided to leave. It would beat being shown off by Suiren at court, or having to listen to her talk about who was wearing what and why it was in bad taste.

She had a couple more spates of crying, but both were short, almost as if she was embarrassed by them. Sora found himself wanting to comfort her, to hold her… but always the thought that held him back was the fact that he had to be loyal to Suiren. It was his duty after all.

Finally, Claire let out a long, tired sigh, and got to her feet.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I… appreciate the fact that you stayed by me, even though you don't, know me too well."

Her voice caught slightly on the last phrase, but she was, almost literally, all cried out. She would be lucky if she could make it to her bed in time before she fell asleep. In truth she wanted nothing more than to rest her head on his lap, but it wouldn't be right. Her husband he might be, but in his present state it would feel too much like attempting to take advantage of him.

"I was glad to do it," he said simply. "If you ever need a listening ear Miss Claire, I'll be glad to provide it."

Her smile was sad, and she left without saying another word.

* * *

_I really don't know what to do right now. Everything just hurts so much… Skye, Skye, come back to me… please love, come back to me._


	40. December 2, Winter, Year 36

**December 2, Winter, year 36**

_Hikari and Miharu have fabricated what they think will be the antidote. Instead of using hair and blood from Suiren—which was how it was made in the first place—they used some of Skye's. Hikari swears up and down that it will negate the effects of using Suiren's and return him to himself without having any side effects like narcissism. _

_Miharu wants me there for him when he wakes up, but I'm so scared… what if it _doesn't_ work? I don't think I could take another 'do I know you?' from him…_

* * *

"Pull yourself together Claire," the blonde muttered at herself, whapping her hands to her cheeks. "You watched the whole process, had every step explained to you, _and_ you could even recreate it yourself if you had to."

Probably not to the same effect or potency that Hikari had it at, but the herbs, the measurements… yes, she could recreate it.

Claire looked down at her hands. They were shaking so badly that she gave up and put the pen down in the journal. Writing any more would result in illegibility, and even if she didn't want to re-read it later, having an illegible journal entry would annoy her.

With a soft sigh, she lay back against the soft pillows of the bed, and stretched her left arm up towards the ceiling, studying the wedding ring on her finger. She had been wearing where it belonged for the past months, it was going to be strange to go home and have it back on the chain again… Abruptly sat up again, as something occurred to her.

The pendant. The diamond pendant that Skye had, that matched hers. Subconsciously her hand went to said pendant, griping it tightly.

_He had still been wearing it!_

Despite herself, hope began to well up in her heart. If he hadn't taken off the symbol of their union, maybe it really _would_ be as easy as Hikari said.

She intended to close her eyes only for a brief moment, to close them only in hope and prayer, but somewhere in there prayer turned to sleep.

* * *

Sora winced a little as Miharu prodded at him with her healer's instruments.

"Is this _really_ necessary?" he asked. "I feel _fine_ Miharu."

"It's double-checking," Miharu replied, smacking his hands away from her probing. "A concussion is nothing to sneeze at my Prince. Have you been experiencing any headaches?"

Sora closed his sea-green eyes and suppressed another sigh. He _had_, but they had all been caused by Suiren and her insistent nagging about things. Why he wouldn't kiss her properly, why he refused to sleep with her, why he was up at all hours of the night, and so on and so on.

It made him long to spend another few hours with Claire and her silence, her way of asking nothing in a way that made him _want_ to speak.

He'd gone back several times in the past five days, hoping to meet her again in the garden, but hadn't had any luck in the slightest. It was strange, because her hair color was _impossible_ to miss…

It meant that she hadn't been in the gardens then, nor had she been any place else he'd checked. And he was running out of places to look where he would be _over_looked. If his fascination with Claire became obvious, there would be a fight with Suiren, and it wouldn't be a small one.

Not to mention the court gossip and the shredding of reputations… He jumped when Miharu's next healing item smacked him upside the head. The healer's expression was annoyed, and Sora had the grace to look sheepish.

"I hate to have to rush you my Prince," Miharu sighed, "but once I'm finished with you I have to run an examination on Claire. She has been under an uncommon load of stress lately and I want to ensure that it's doing no harm to her unborn children."

Instantly she had his attention, in a way that almost startled her. The intensity in his sea-green eyes… Clearly despite Suiren's attempts, the potion hadn't been as successful as she'd wanted it to be.

Miharu turned her back on the prince temporarily, putting together the antidote on the table behind her. It had to look like it was a health potion, otherwise he would become too suspicious and Claire's dreams would be dashed.

"Alright, drink this, and then you're free to go," she sighed again. "And _do_ try to keep out of trouble this time, I don't need another harangue from Suiren over something stupid that _she_ did."

Sora eyed the beaker with distaste, like any sane Person, he _abhorred_ healing potions being shoved down his throat. But with Miharu watching him like a hawk—what was a hawk?—he obediently down the contents.

Within seconds, he was out like a light. Miharu shook her head lightly, face apologetic.

"My apologies," she said softly. "But I cannot bear to see her so unhappy."

* * *

Tenshi had roused Claire from her slumber with the news that the potion had taken effect, and if she hurried, she would be able to be there when Skye came around. Claire, not surprisingly, dawdled, her nerves jangling.

In the end it took Lauren and Jamie literally _pushing_ her out the door to make her move faster, and Tenshi half-pulling her the rest of the way to the Healer's Hall.

Miharu had chased everyone out or a small sector, even going so far as to make sure none of them were trying to blend into the walls to ensure that nothing would mess this up.

Hikari was waiting outside on a bench, fast asleep. She had spent her nights awake, working faster than she ever had before to create and complete the mind-alteration potion, so it was understandable that she was out of it. Claire didn't even register the Princess's presence as Tenshi pulled her along, trying desperately to keep from being sick out of nerves.

Miharu pushed Claire firmly onto the stool next to the bed where Skye rested, his face pale and dewed with sweat.

"Is this normal?" the blonde's heart was jumping into her throat.

"Yes Claire, it's normal," Miharu rested a hand on her shoulder and sent a small trickle of magic into the woman, enough to keep her from fidgeting her way off the stool. "It's just a reaction of one potion counter-acting another. He should be coming around within the hour."

Claire's eyes focused on his face for a long moment, then down at the silver and diamond pendant around his neck. She reached out carefully, and ran her hand along his cheek.

"Wake up," she whispered, eyes filling with tears. "Please, come back to me."

Miharu gently pulled Claire away.

"Examination first," the healer said sternly. "I've been hearing some very incriminating things about you young lady."

Claire didn't know whether to groan, blush, or giggle.

* * *

This was the second time in less than a week he'd woken up with a headache. Had he fallen down the stairs again?

Skye let out a faint groan. He didn't want to open his eyes at all, not after what _that_ potion had done to him. What had Miharu _put_ in it to bring out that sort of reaction? A gentle, familiar hand slipped under his head, easing it up slightly, and a cup was pressed to his lips.

"Drink this, Miharu promises it'll make the headache go away."

Why did Claire sound so afraid? No, it was more than afraid, she sounded like she was in danger of breaking apart… Obediently he took a couple of sips, gagged a little at the taste—too much mint—and waited a few moments for the headache to recede.

As it did, he began to recall what had happened over the past few days. As the memories rushed into him, her found himself turning hot and cold with anger and embarrassment. Instantly he was up, spilling the rest of the contents of the cups onto the floor as he grabbed Claire and pulled her into a tight hug.

She squeaked in surprise, and clutched at him as he overbalanced them both and they landed on the stone floor with a pair of matched thumps. His hands clutched at the familiar cotton of her shirt, the rough texture of the denim overalls, the softness of her hair.

Apologies spilled from his lips, as he clung to her, until she reached up and silenced him with a simply touch of her fingers. He looked down at her a mixture of afraid and hopeful.

"It's okay," her voice was choked, tears of relief and joy sliding down her face. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. I forgive you."

The words caused relief to stream through Skye, and he bowed his head to her shoulder, and wept a little himself as she hid her face against his chest, arms around his neck.

Miharu held a finger to her lips and shooed Tenshi out of the room ahead of her. They would leave them alone for now, and find out the details later.

* * *

Once Claire and Skye had both calmed down, Skye started to speak again, detailing everything that had happened in the past eight days between him and Suiren. In short, nothing.

"All I could think about was you," he said softly, caressing his wife's—his _real_ wife's—face. "And it just about killed anything Suiren was going to try."

There it was, the smile he'd been trying to produce even when he couldn't remember her. Teary, but full of love and warmth. All of it was true, even Suiren's attempt at spiking his drink had failed to really do anything but put him to sleep, much to the arrogant Princess's frustration, and following complaint the next morning. Proof that she really _couldn't_ tell the difference between an aphrodisiac and a sleep-helper.

She leaned into his touch, eyes sliding closed. Eight strenuous, torturous days were finally at an end, and the exhaustion of over-loaded emotions was finally sweeping over her.

"Claire?" Skye's voice was soft, as he pulled her close again, recognizing the imminent slumber.

"Mmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Skye refused any help in carrying his sleeping wife back to their room, he wanted nothing more than to continue holding her, looking at her, hearing her…

Had he not been carrying Claire, he would have been dog-piled the second he stepped through the door. Lauren, managed to gab the younger twins while Jamie caught Meri mid jump.

Skye chuckled softly and laid Claire down on the bed, then opened his arms to his children. Instantly they all piled in, crying, laughing, and talking all at once. It was a sound that he would never have thought to hear again.

Sooner than they wanted though, the silver-haired man extracted himself from them, and promised to return shortly. He had a few things to 'discuss' with Suiren.

* * *

Suiren was waiting in her guest-chambers, hands on her hips. Anger turned her cheeks crimson as the door opened, and Skye appeared.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. "Don't you know we have things to _do_ before your brother gets married in two days?!"

"Whatever plans you may have can be changed," Skye's voice was cold. "You are no longer welcome here."

For a long moment the Princess's grey eyes showed nothing but blank confusion, which slowly bled into shock and horror. Skye's eyes were as cold as his voice.

"Under the sufferance of my Lady Mother, you will be granted three days post Dai and Tsu's wedding to be off the palace ground, and you are to never return," He glared, and the pampered princess found herself shrinking back in fright. "You are not to show your face to myself, my wife, or my children _ever_ again."

"B-but I-"

"_Silence_!" Skye thundered, sounding for a brief moment like his departed father in full regal mode. "The terms are far more generous than you deserve Suiren, and the only reason you're getting off this lightly is because you are the eldest in your family."

With that, Skye swept from the room, closing the door sharply behind him. He didn't even want to _look_ at her after such a trick.

When he returned to the room, Claire was awake, her face a picture of despair that transformed to undiluted joy when he walked in.

"It wasn't a dream," she whispered.

He held out his arms, and she rushed into them. She wasn't crying but she clung, hands tight in the fabric of his shirt, and whispered about her newest dreams. He soothed her, smoothed her hair back, and listened.

It was the same as the other dreams, holding the blue knife and pursuing. This time she could see the long, silver-white hair just barely out of reach, but no other details were forthcoming.

Gently, Skye kissed her forehead.

"Don't try to force the details love," he reprimanded kindly. "Long hair means it's a female, likely one of the visiting princesses. I'll tell Akio to keep a watch over them all, will that suffice?"

"Y-yeah," Claire rested her head against his chest, letting her eyes close again in relief. "I think it'll help if nothing else.."

* * *

_Dreams… but he's back. He's back and can help me. Thank _goodness. _I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't turned out okay._

_Everyone's happy to have him back. Me most of all. I finally feel like I can relax, even though I really can't. I'm helping Tsuyu in her dress preparations, so I'm still as busy as ever._

_But it feels better now. He's here. At my side. And I just _know_ that everything will turn out alright._


	41. December 4, Winter, Year 36

**AN: All right, so how this is going to work is very simple. This story hit a divergence point. What I'm putting here are the divergence chapters. In a week, I'll post the original ending as a seperate story, so that I don't confuse people. Thanks for the sweet reviews gang, I'm glad you're all loving this! ^^**

* * *

**December 4, Winter, year 36**

_What. A. _Day!_ From running up the stairs to ensure that Tsuyu's dress was perfect to hurrying _down_ the stairs to ensure that my kids were dressed, it's no _wonder_ everyone's ready to go to be early. I thought I was _done_ with weddings…_

* * *

Had it not been for the fact that Claire had promised to help Tsuyu with her clothes—and the minor fact that it was Daisuke's wedding—she would have suggested that they all play hooky for the day. Getting out of the palace, even for a few short hours, would have been nothing short of paradise.

Especially after everything that had happened…

But she _had_ promised, and it _was_ Daisuke's wedding—which Skye was obligated to attend _anyways_—which meant that they had to stick around for a short while.

So it was with a faint, reluctant sigh that Claire woke up early that day, and took a quick turn in the bathroom before hurrying up the stairs to Tsuyu's rooms. Skye went up to Daisuke's, both of them being an old hand at relaxing a soon-to-be-wed couple.

Tsuyu was already standing on a small stool in the center of the room when Claire entered, looking for all the world like she hadn't slept. The Princess hadn't even put on the emotion-blocking under-robe that she would have to wear all through the ceremony.

Personally Claire disapproved of the idea, but who was she to tell them how to run their weddings?

Pale blue eyes looked uncertainly down at Claire as maidservants bustled around, pulling out this sheer gauze and that silk over-robe, laying their choices over the Princess as if she was nothing more than a doll for them to dress.

Promptly, they were chased out, and the blonde got to work. Despite massive reluctance, Tsuyu pulled on the blue-trimmed white robe, and tied the silver belt tightly. Claire watch with misgiving as the uncertainty and nerves faded from the Dew Palace princess, feeling more strongly than ever that this was no way to deal with healthy emotions.

Tsuyu was little more than a doll now, obeying docilely as Claire instructed her to hold out her arms. Over the short robe, Claire draped another robe, pale blue silk trimmed in silver and pearls, the color of which _just_ matched Tsuyu's eyes. A silver cord belt tied it closed, with another, slightly darker shade of blue gauze hanging from it. Here and there in the multitude of gauzes that Claire carefully placed over Tsuyu, threads of silver, and sapphire blue caught the light, glittering softly.

Then Claire, unable to help herself, pulled it all off and removed the emotion blocking robe. Instantly Tsuyu's face came alive with nerves and uncertainty.

Which was how it was _supposed_ to be curse it all. Claire reassured her every step of the way as she replaced the silks and gauzes, that everything would be fine. Privately, in the back of her mind she had this sneaking suspicion that Skye had convinced his brother to do the same. If changes were to start, then it had to be in the place where the influence was the greatest.

"You going to be able to hold yourself together while I go get everyone ready?" Claire asked as the annoyed maidservants filtered back in, to dress Tsuyu's hair and make up her face.

"Y-yes," Tsuyu nodded slowly. "Thank you Claire."

"Heh," the blonde winked cheekily. "No problem."

* * *

She was very pleased to make it back to her room and discover that all her children were not only up, but had bathed and dressed as well, in a mixture of their own 'fancy' clothing and the numerous gauzes, silks and satins that were at their disposal.

It didn't take her more than a few minutes to find the right shade she wanted—her color was yellow, both in tribute to her returned joy, and the happiness a wedding should bring—and a few strokes with her hair brush set long blond strands to rights.

Skye returned just as she was finishing up, looking somewhat harried and annoyed.

"_Brothers_," he snorted as he rifled through the closet himself. "It took me longer to convince him _not_ to wear the robe than it did to make him dress."

Claire laughed.

"I had everything all set up… then I had to redo it all because the robe annoyed me," she confessed, grinning. "Nice to know that we both had the same idea."

Skye chuckled, leaned down and kissed his wife, running a soft hand against her hair. She leaned into the caress, sighing softly in happiness.

* * *

Not only was the wedding long, and full of pomp and ceremony, but it was solemn… and full of standing. _Lots_ of standing.

No one was more grateful than Claire to adjourn to the post-vows banquet. Not only was everything to stiff and formal, she couldn't help but wonder where the usual joy was in a wedding.

Even though the bride and groom were clearly nervous, it was also clear that they were happy. Maybe it was just because their emotions were so obvious?

When she asked though, Skye shook his head with a faint, rueful smile.

"Weddings here are _always_ more serious than joyous. Truth be told, a lot of them _aren't_ happy to be married, Dai and Tsu are luckier than most. They at least like each other."

Skye chuckled a little at the looks shared by his wife and eldest children. Clearly they liked the idea as little as he did.

"At least they _are_ happy," the blonde sighed finally.

"Mhmm," Skye leaned over, wrapping an arm around his wife. "I'm glad for my brother. Even more glad that he didn't chose _that_ female."

Claire just smiled, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Don't think about that right now," she murmured. "Let's just have fun."

* * *

Ruined. _Again_ the plans were ruined! How, how, _how_ did such a female inspire such things, create such damage to all the carefully laid plans? Now there would have to be _two_ deaths at once, much harder to cover up than just a single.

At least the first fool hadn't told the entire story to the human. Perhaps things were still salvageable. As long as there was nothing to connect _him_ to the deaths, he could still get away from this unscathed.

It was almost a pity the _he_ had given up the throne in favor of the second son. It would have been more satisfying to kill _him_.

* * *

_Skye promised to go wandering with me the day after tomorrow. I can hardly wait! He says he has another secret place to show me._


	42. December 7, Winter, Year 36

**December 7, winter, year 36**

_It's just… horrible. When will it end?_

* * *

Her awakening was abrupt, nearly sending her flying out of the large bed as she ran from the dreams that pursued her. Trembling and gasping, she covered her face with her hands, trying to deny what she had seen.

Skye reached out carefully, and drew his shaking wife close, holding her carefully. This had been the second time in as many nights she had woken up frightened, but there was something more to it this time.

"He… got them," Claire's voice was a bare, frightened whisper. "He got them both!"

"Who got them? Who got whom?"

Tear filled blue eyes looked up into worried sea-green, then Claire hid her face in Skye's shoulder, sobbing softly. In a way, that was answer enough, the person with the soul-stealer had struck again, and had killed again.

But who had been killed? Was it someone Claire had been close to? This wasn't the same type of terror she'd had on that first night so many months ago. It was close, but there was more sorrow than fear this time.

He soothed her as best he could, running his hands along her back, through her hair. Slowly, Claire's tears dried up, her breathing eased back into a sort of normalcy, and she rubbed at her own eyes.

"Skye…" he voice was soft, serious. "I know who's doing this. But I don't think you're going to like it."

"Tell me anyways," his voice was gentle.

"Toshihiro," Claire's voice caught slightly. "He… he killed Hikari and Suiren."

Skye felt the blood drain from his face. Suiren wasn't that big of a deal, they had no strong allies to repel. But Hikari's home had ties to the Rain's Palace and the Storms palace. They did too, in Kaemon's marriage to the Rain's Princess Akahari, but Storms… Those troops could easily take on and _out_ the combined armies of Tranquility and Serenity Palace.

"I… I think Hikari knew I was there, somehow," Claire continued softly. "She made sure to say his name… I think he killed Suiren first for failing to hold onto you, and then Hikari because she was going to tell us."

Skye flicked from thought to thought, slowly piecing it together. Toshi had always been overly jealous of the attention that he, Daisuke and Akio had always received. And then Skye himself had been granted leave to.. well, _leave_, giving the younger prince time to seethe, and focus on the 'unfairness' of it all.

"I might even be able to prove it," she whispered.

_That_ returned his attention to the present with a snap, and he looked down at the blonde woman in his arms.

"Hikari… I can still feel her," Claire's hand lightly touched her chest. "Just a fragment, that knife got almost all of her. But she wrote in a journal… or rather, spoke into a crystal. It has _everything_ that happened. If we can get that…"

"Toshihiro will have to face his punishment," Skye finished grimly. "Do you know where it is?"

"…vaguely," Claire raised one shoulder in a half shrug. "If I'm quick I could probably get it before they realize she's been killed. Then it's all a matter of timing."

Tears had been replaced by an aching sorrow, and a stubborn determination. Skye knew that look. It was similar to the one she had on her face when she'd decided that she was going to work on the farm until she got to big in the belly for her job. Nothing and no one would change her mind.

"Just be careful," Skye said, letting her slip from his grasp. "Don't get caught."

She smiled wanly, pulled on a robe over her pajamas, and gave him a soft kiss to the cheek. Even taking five minutes to get dressed would take too long, soon enough a patrol of guards would find the two bodies, sprawled in the decorative fountain like the king had been.

She slipped out the door, leaving Skye alone with his thoughts. The former prince worried, and hoped that Toshihiro wouldn't run into his wife.

* * *

Claire wound her ways through the halls to the rooms where Hikari had been staying. Her maidservants slept late since the Princess normally wasn't up in the early hours, but the rooms were connected so her search would have to be performed quietly. There would be too many awkward questions if she was found.

The room was, thankfully, free of an over-abundance of stuff. It was much easier to search without the fear of knocking something over, or stepping on something that would make a loud noise.

She checked the obvious places first, the wooden carved boxes on the desk—only regular jewelry—the shelves, under the bed, an so on. Under the bed was the hardest, her stomach wasn't getting any smaller…

Finally she found the rainbow hued crystal under Hikari's pillows, and let out a sigh of relief. Cautiously she touched it, and was rewarded with a small, illusory form of Hikari, who looked as though she was harried.

"I don't have much time, he's going to be after me next. Claire, if you find this, the password for getting the other entries is…"

The small illusion let off a burst of words that sounded like one of the spells that Winnie used.

"I am so sorry Claire… I hope that this makes up for the foolishness that I caused."

Her voice cut off, and the figure popped like a soap bubble. Claire cradled the crystal to her chest, and did her best not to cry. In the end… Hikari had been a true friend. She had known, and she had given Claire the key to Toshihiro's downfall.

She took several deep breaths, and sidled over to the door out. She had to run this back to Skye as quickly as possible. They needed to make plans.

* * *

Skye's relief was palpable as the blonde slipped back into their room, and pulled her into a close hug before she could even get out a word. She let him, and he held her up as she trembled in reaction to the adrenaline that had been flooding into her system ever since she'd woken and known what to do.

A low, eerie wailing noise started in the middle of it, and soon Claire and Skye were surrounded by their nervous, unhappy children.

"What's going on?" Mirei asked, clinging to her mother's robe. "That noise is scary!"

"Scary," Meredith agreed, also holding onto Claire's robe. "An loud!"

Jamie felt that he was too old to be clinging to his parents, but that didn't stop him from stepping closer to them, Alan from grabbing his father's leg, nor Lauren from resting a hand on her mother's shoulder.

"It's an alarm," Skye replied, shivering a little himself. "It means that something terrible has happened on Palace grounds. The noise means everyone's confined to their quarters until such time as Mother sees fit to let everyone out again."

"What about breakfast?" Lauren jumped slightly as the noise started again, a little louder.

"Postponed until we're released, I'm afraid," Skye gave his children a calming, rueful smile. "But I'm sure it won't be long. These sorts of things never last. Who's up for a story?"

He released Claire, who was by then capable of standing on her own, and ushered his children next door. The blonde took only a few seconds to hide the crystal under her own pillow before she joined them.

They whiled away two hours before a chiming noise started echoing through the walls, and Skye let out a quiet sigh of relief. This lasted only a few minutes as the next noise after the 'All-clear' was the sound of fists meeting the door.

Claire continued to read as he excused himself. She still felt on edge for stealing the crystal, and couldn't help but wonder if she was to be discovered already. Skye's face, when he returned, was grim.

"Dad, what's going on?" Jamie practically pounced on his father for the information.

"Princess Hikari and Princess Suiren… have been murdered," even knowing beforehand, it was still a sobering thought. "Since Daisuke still isn't officially the king, I have to leave you all for a short while to sort this out."

"Be careful," Claire looked up at him, blue eyes worried. "Please?"

He bent, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Of course."

In turn he kissed or hugged all of his children, then left. Claire let out a soft sigh, then turned to Lauren.

"Let's order breakfast," she smiled. "No use trying to puzzle this out over an empty stomach, no?"

* * *

_Skye's told me he'll be busy almost to Toshihiro's birthday, and that I should take the crystal to Kaemon, who'll copy it and give it to Akio. And from there things should progress pretty rapidly._

_I can only hope… I can only hope that this will end._


	43. December 21, Winter, Year 36

**December 21, Winter, year 36**

It seems to be taking so _long_… Kae took everything to Akio and Daiskue, and Skye and I have met with them every few days to discuss the plans of capturing Toshi and convicting him before the full court, but Tsukiko is still refusing to believe that Toshihiro could ever have had a hand in something so devious.

Gods all bless but at this rate I'm going to _smack_ her! I don't care _how_ much trouble it'd land me in, that woman is being stubborn and blind!

At least it was Daisuke's coronation today. He and Tsuyu are the official rulers of Tranquility now, which means that as soon as things calm down a little more he can get a handle on his brother.

It was a pretty impressive ceremony. More standing though. Gods at this rate my legs are going to refuse to hold me and I'll embarrass myself by falling down in the middle of something.

I guess things won't be calming down for a while. Apparently the Year End festival and New Year's Day are really big festivities. People are running around like crazy, dignitaries are pouring in—I've already seen Ameko and Reiko again—and from what I've heard, new things are starting to come up from some of the People who've gone down to earth. Nice to know that Hatoko found something to do that she likes.

She lives down there now, actually. And there's many others as well, starting to scatter around the world. It seems like it'll be a good way to mingle. Ought to be entertaining to hear about as well…

The coronation was impressive. Very boring as well, but at least once we heard the weird music—apparently Tranquility's anthem?—we were allowed to sit down. I swear, after this I am _never_ having more kids. My back is killing me, my breast are tender and I am ex_hausted!_

I guess I should be lucky enough that I'm not sick, and just large. I'm actually wondering a little now how I was able to get to Hikari's room and back without being caught… I'm starting to _waddle!_

Maybe I should just count my blessings, and leave it at that. Thinking about it won't help…

Though I can't stop myself from wondering what's going to happen next. If Daisuke is king that eliminates Skye from Toshi's sights, since Skye's not in his way anymore. Kaemon and Akio are both married and will eventually leave to rule their palaces…

I find myself honestly

I wonder. It might work. If we use Daisuke as bait, we can stage a capture and a conviction in one fell swoop! Even the councilors wouldn't be able to argue his innocence after something like _that!_

I have to go talk to Skye and Kaemon!

* * *

Drats, both are already ensconced with Daisuke about something else. Probably staving off the threat of war from Storms and Vapors. Oh, and… Moisture, but everyone seems more worried about the first two. Hikari… was important.

I guess there's nothing for it, I'll just have to wait. I don't dare write it down either, though I'd dearly love to work out the details myself. I want to present them with a _plan_, not just an idea.

But there's always the chance that he might get this journal in the coming months, and so I don't dare. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I'd rather be paranoid and living than trusting and dead.


	44. January 2, Winter, Year 36

**January 2, Winter, year 36**

_Still haven't been able to get the boys alone. I'll have to harass them into listening soon. Skye just _drops_ when he gets in…_

_Hmm…_

_It just didn't feel right to bring it up during the past two days either… they're supposed to be happy times at festivals after all._

_I'll leave it for a few more days, but I should hurry. The longer I delay, the more likely it becomes that Toshi may actually attempt to kill Dai._

_

* * *

_

-_Year's End festival_-

"We're going to see _fireworks?_" Alan's yip was a gleeful one, and it was echoed by his twin.

"Indeed," Skye's smile was tired, but warm. "Though they're not going to be quite the same as the ones made by Patrick and Kassey."

Claire giggled slightly.

"The zombie twins!" she joked, as she brushed Meri's hair into the customary pigtails.

"They never die!" the rest of the family chorused.

It was an amusing truth, Patrick and Kassey, along with Takakura, were the oldest human residents in the Valley. And they were _still_ making the best fireworks around.

"Do we have to be around people?" Lauren asked, a touch plaintively as she tied her hair back.

"Only for a short while. And it shouldn't be too bad, this night and tomorrow morning are one of the rare times no one wears their robes," Skye smiled at the startled expressions.

"No one at all?" Jamie blinked. "So does that mean Grandma will be _nicer_?"

Claire snickered at Skye's expression. He seemed to be torn between play-acting annoyance, or laughing. Lauren giggled.

"Somehow, I don't think anything will make _her_ lighten up," she said dryly.

* * *

It was crowded, and noisy in the pavilions, even those separated by walls instead of gauze. But there was a feeling of general cheer pervading over the celebrations. Some of the People were obviously drunk, even though it was still almost two hours til midnight. The sky overhead was a dark velvety blue, but lacked the stars of the real night sky.

Still, it was better than nothing, and the darkness would better show of the brilliant splashes of color that the fireworks would cast.

Children ran here and there, with sparklers trailing flickers of light behind them, carrying sugary sweets, or just generally running around and having fun.

Booths were set up, there was a fish-scooping game, a ring toss, a dart game, a fishing game… everywhere that Claire and her family looked, there was something to do that caused bright laughter and activity.

Almost immediately, everyone scattered, promising to meet back at the water's edge for the fireworks at midnight. Alan and Mirei ran to find Yue, Jamie wanted a closer look at some of the food stands—Lauren teased him about being a bottomless pit—and Lauren herself went to find where the music was coming from, hoping to join in. After a few minutes, Hoshiko and Hotaru spotted Meri. After several minutes of Hoshi's pleading Meredith had reluctantly agreed to separate from her mother and go play, Hotaru promising to keep an eye on her as they walked away.

Claire let off a quiet, relieved sigh. Skye, hearing it, chuckled softly. He understood, she got testy and mopey in turns when she was carrying children, and she was always worried about taking those feelings out on the children.

Then there was the fact that _because_ she was pregnant everyone was crowding her, in the most familial way possible.

He gently tucked an arm around her waist, and pulled her in a quieter direction. Claire followed quite readily, leaning her head against his shoulder comfortably. Her eyes flicked in as many directions as possible, taking in a sight that she would likely never see again… by choice, for that matter. Once they were quit of the place, she wanted nothing more than to keep her feet planted firmly on the Earth.

They walked quietly for a short while, a small piece of silence in a sea of noise, light and sound. Claire just savored his arm around her, putting all thoughts of plans to draw Toshi out and get him caught red-handed. There would be time later to speak of it.

Skye rested his cheek lightly against the top of her blonde hair, glad for the release in his own way. Toshi's idiocy of killing Hikari had put not two, but _four_ different palaces up in arms. Promising them the killer would be found had been the easy part, but telling them that they couldn't _have_ him had brought problems to even more dangerous heights.

It made him wish that Kaemon and Daisuke hadn't told Tsukiko… She was being difficult about letting them decide Toshihiro's eventual punishment, and impeding the process every step of the way.

Not to mention they had no idea how to effectively _catch_ Toshi. Hikari's recorded testimony would certainly help in implicating him, but _proving_ he'd done everything would be what the Council wanted.

He let out a faint, tired sigh, and forced the subject from his mind. It was a festival for the next two days, better to linger on that instead of the insurmountable problems facing him.

And he wasn't even _King-elect_ anymore…

Claire poked him lightly in the ribs, and pointed across the grounds, laughter dancing in her eyes. He followed her finger, then snorted himself to see the people playing "Dunk the King."

Daisuke was sitting on a platform suspended above a tank of water, and had clearly already taken a trip or two into it.

"Should we?" a mischievous grin curled Claire's lips, and was quickly matched by Skye's.

Without another word they meandered over, and joined in the fun.

* * *

Skye had insisted she sit while he ran for something to eat, and Claire had been all too ready to comply. After dunking Daisuke three times in five, the new king had laughingly called it quits and handed the dunking seat off to another volunteer. He and Tsuyu had stuck around them for a while, laughing and chattering before Dai had been pulled away by someone else to discuss… something, Claire hadn't been sure what. Tsuyu had followed him after a few minutes.

After that they had run into Kaemon and Hari, who was showing their three-year-old around the festival. Claire had gone gooey over the child and had gotten into a conversation with Akahari about the difficulties of child-bearing, and multiple child-bearing—though it had always been worth it—while the boys discussed something in low tones. Kimiko had poked at Claire's stomach in awe when she was told that her Aunty was going to have not one, but _three_ babies.

This had been followed by the revelation that Akahari herself was pregnant, which had naturally led to complaining about the teleportation system. Kaemon and Skye had literally had to pull the women out of their conversations, towing them in opposite directions. Claire proceeded to tease him mercilessly about it for the next hour.

At which point she was tiring quickly, and it had led to the rest she was currently taking. She leaned back on the bench, a fond smile crossing her lips as she watched the crowds coming and going antics.

Children ran here and there, making the pinwheels they held rattle and whirl in a mix of confusing colors. Well, _most_ of the runners were kids, but there was more than a few adults mixed in.

It was still a sea of silver though, and it made her long for the brown of her little sister's hair, the dark black of Marlin's, the bright red of Nami's, and even the pink of Popuri, though she wouldn't have been at the Valley _or_ the town this time of the year… Homesickness hit her in a sudden wave and she closed her blue eyes tightly, swallowing back the sudden lump in her throat.

Several minutes passed in which she allowed the sounds of the festival to just wash over her. It wasn't a balm, but it _was_ a distraction, and allowed her to pull herself back into control.

This was followed by Skye's return with roasted corn, and something he called 'takoyaki.' Which actually wasn't half bad. And soda, of a type she didn't quite know of. But it was delicious, and after several minutes, she felt her energy returning, enough so that she was able to watch the fireworks with her family.

* * *

  
-_New Year's Day_-

"Sleep more today love," Skye chuckled, tucking the blankets more firmly around his wife. "You're not going to be missing much, and an over-abundance of wine wouldn't be good for you."

The look she gave him was only _mildly_ annoyed, since the children would be staying with her. Unlike the festival at home, there were no sticky rice cakes for the children to eat, this was strictly an adults only festival.

Skye himself would only be in attendance for a short while; the only way he liked wine was in his cooking, and the only reason he was going was because he was still a Prince—at least as far as blood ties were concerned.

Miharu and Tenshi had both promised to stop by, Miharu to give Claire a check-up, and Tenshi to share gossip. Both had been scarce lately, busy with other things, mostly connected to the murders of Suiren and Hikari, so it was to be the first chat with them in almost a month.

Claire was quite looking forward to it. She needed to talk to _someone_, and until she could pin down her two brother-in-laws and her husband to discuss her plan…

The blonde blew her husband a kiss as he left, and settled in to wait.

* * *

_Had a nice long talk with Miharu about the babies, and names I'm trying to decide on, and I was able to talk to Ten-chan about the idea. She actually suggested a few modifications to it, which I like. Sorta._

_And I made Skye _promise_ to take me along with him when he, Kaemon and Daisuke gather in the library. He's a bit miffed that I won't tell him why, but I really don't have the energy to repeat myself…_


	45. January 4, Winter, Year 36

**January 4, Winter, year 36**

_Well, _that_ went over surprisingly well. Daisuke brought Tsuyu with him, thankfully, so I didn't have to worry about what she might think…_

* * *

"Alright, so what did you have in mind?" Kaemon's glance was undeniably skeptical.

"We have to prove that Toshi has the intent to kill so that he can become King, right?" Claire's voice was low, they _were_ in the library. "Why not give him the opportunity?"

All around the table, jaws dropped. Only Akio rubbed his chin thoughtfully, turning the implications over in his mind.

"It is pretty obvious that Toshi is less than fond of you as well," he nodded. "Perhaps this is because when you talk to people, even though they might not seem too, they listen, and take things you say to heart."

"She changes people," Tsuyu interjected softly, eyes knowing. "By being herself and a strong personality, she draws the people to her and they change into someone better. I would not doubt that this is the reason Hikari changed."

Claire blushed a little, waving a hand at the bejeweled Queen.

"You're giving me too much credit," she protested, rubbing the back of her neck.

"But only think about it," Tsuyu's voice was gentle as the boys continued to wrap their minds around the idea of giving Toshi his chance. "From the time that you spoke to Hikari and told her that you bore her no resentment, she changed, no?"

The blonde blinked, repeatedly. Tsuyu just giggled at the dumbfounded expression that crossed her face. Claire had not thought about that, she'd honestly thought that Hikari had been blameless and had….

Akio cleared his throat carefully, snapping both females back to the present, and Claire nodded, continuing.

"How would we go about giving him the chance?" Kaemon asked, brows drawn together in worry. "What if he actually succeeds?

Daisuke reached out and smacked his brother in the shoulder, annoyed.

"Not if you're there first," Claire interjected more to keep them from glaring each other to death than because she wanted to share the rest of the plan. "Which you _would_ be, naturally. We're planning this, remember?"

She fell silent for a short moment, letting them all absorb it.

"Alright Claire… what did you have in mind?"

She laid it out for them in exact detail, hoping that neither Skye nor Tsuyu would be offended by her presumptuous idea. Again, jaws dropped, and frowns crossed faces as silence descended.

What Claire proposed was simple. Through a rumor, inform Toshihiro that Daisuke and Claire may be stepping out on their significant others… with each other. At a specific time and place.

Admittedly the idea wasn't exactly her favorite, but if there was something Toshi wanted, it was to kill Dai, and then he could threaten Claire into silence with the knowledge of her 'infidelity.'

Skye's expression she had anticipated, he was clearly unhappy with the idea. So was Daisuke. Tsuyu seemed mostly contemplative, and Claire hoped that it was a good thing. Akio nodded lightly; to him, the idea was sound, and even Kaemon seemed impressed by it.

The militarial positioned Prince pulled out a map of the formal gardens, and laid it down on the table. Between Akio and Kaemon it was decided on the best hiding places for the soldiers who would catch Toshi in the act. Claire felt a knot loosen in her chest, relief that at last there was a plan to take care of Toshihiro, and a way that she could be involved.

Hopefully it would end all her dreams.

Eventually Daisuke and Skye were argued into the idea as well, by Tsuyu of all people, who pulled Claire aside after the meeting broke up. The blonde feared the worst, brows drawing together in uncertainty, but Tsuyu only smiled warmly, and hugged her.

"Thank you Claire," her voice was soft, gentle. "I was starting to fear that Daisuke himself would be Toshihiro's next target, and they had no ideas on how to protect him beyond not letting Dai alone for a _minute_."

"And that would have about the same effect on Daisuke it has on me, I bet," Claire chuckled. "Being crowded by people, even with the best of intentions isn't exactly my idea of a fun time. I can just imagine how he's been complaining."

The queen giggled, nodding.

"I was… a little uncertain about my idea," Claire admitted after a minute. "It just seems…"

Tsuyu patted Claire on the shoulder, light blue eyes understanding.

"I can see how much you love your prince," she said gently. "Do not fear, I would not think such things. And I am certain that Skye will… how do you say it?"

"Get over it," Claire responded dryly. "I hope so…"

"He will, I know it. I believe this is more about his inability to protect you if he's to be a witness…" Tsuyu trailed off, then snapped her fingers. "That does remind me, if you are going to take such a dangerous role, I wish to give you something that may help."

Intrigued, Claire followed her friend as the brothers continued to talk in quiet tones. Clearly for them, the meeting wasn't yet finished entirely.

* * *

Skye _was_ a little put out by his wife's idea, for the exact reason that Tsuyu had stated. Being forced to watch her play this part out, and not be able to help her until _after_ Toshi had made his move was going to be difficult.

"It's too bad we can't get someone else to do this," Kaemon nodded, sensing his brother's unhappiness. "But it can only be Claire. If Tsu-chan is correct than your lady wife has inadvertently thwarted many a plan of our errant sibling."

"But that's also the reason it's as dangerous for her as it is for me," Daisuke pointed out. "Made more difficult on her part because she's carrying children. What if he decides that it's simply easiest to attempt to kill the both of us?"

Oddly, Skye was annoyed by this. He should have been agreeing with Daisuke, but the more he thought about it, the more he knew his wife had something up her sleeve.

"We're just going to have to trust her," Kaemon said firmly, noticing the conflicted look on Skye's face. "She might not have Akio's strategic know-how, but she's clever. There must be something in the back of her head that she's going to use to defend herself in case that happens."

* * *

"So these will help me?" Claire looked down at her arms a touch doubtfully. "I dunno Tsuyu…"

Tsuyu nodded firmly, tapping the blue bracelets.

"They are made of the same material as the knife that Toshi will be using," she replied. "It will repel the blades, no matter where he might try to strike you. Also, this," and she lifted a small bar of the same material, "will expand into a cage. And I am certain that the boys will have recording crystals which will prove anything beyond any form of doubt."

Claire pursed her lips thoughtfully, then let out a nod and sighed softly. She trusted Tsuyu, if she said they would do that, then the blonde would believe her.

"I would say also that you will need to use whatever spells Miharu has taught you in the manner of restraining."

"Miharu didn't teach me anything like that… Only how to ease the teleportation sickness. I was going to start learning about healing broken bones, but then I got pregnant, and everything got crazy."

"Well, then we'll just have to fix that, won't we?"

* * *

_Everything's going to be set up for this 'tryst' on the fifteenth. Tsuyu's promised that I'll learn at least one, if not _two_ binding spells by that point._

_I can only hope she's right…_

_Though I have to admit I never thought a soft lady like _her_ would know how to do something like this. Have to admit, I'm impressed._


	46. January 15, Winter, Year 36

**January 15, Winter, year 36**

_I'm almost too nervous to eat, and I'm not sure that either of us got enough sleep these past few nights. Skye's pacing, I'm fretting, and there's still a couple of hours to go before this plan of mine gets put into action…_

_If we're acting like this… Well, I guess it'll help me seem nervous about meeting Dai near the fountain._

_

* * *

_

"Just remember," Claire's voice was soft as she held onto Skye's hands. "No matter what…"

He pulled her close, kissed her lightly.

"I know," he breathed. "I know. I trust you Claire."

She rested her forehead against his shoulder, hearing and feeling his heart beat as rapidly as her own. The hug was not as close as it could have been; her belly was growing more encumbering by the day with their three babies. Soon enough, she suspected that Miharu would forbid her to walk very far, which was why it was so important that this plan be executed as quickly as possible.

"Skye?" her voice was softy, uncertain.

"Mmm?"

"Thank you for trusting me," she said softly.

He smiled softly down at her, cupped her face gently in his hands.

"Always," Skye whispered.

Silence fell between them for a long moment, blue eyes and sea-green locked in silent understanding.

"Shall I tell you something?" he said.

"If you'd like…?"

Curiosity lit those blue eyes, and despite the tension of the coming event, he chuckled.

"I think when this is all over, I shall shuck the cloak of immortality. I would rather have a short life with you, than a long life without you."

Claire's jaw dropped slightly. Skye smoothed her hair from her face.

"A life that is short but full of meaning and love," he continued as she struggled to process his words, "is a greater gift than a life that is long and would be empty without you."

"Are you… are you really sure?" Claire's voice was worried, hesitant. "I mean…"

He kissed her softly, then pulled back until their lips just barely touched.

"I have had years to see the world," he replied simply. "My wandering has been at an end, and I would rather spend it with the family I had a hand in creating, than the family that had a hand in me."

Claire shook her head wonderingly, and brought her hands up to caress his face.

"I don't think there are enough words in the world that can express how happy you make me," she whispered. "I… never wanted you to.. to."

"I know," he chuckled. "I want to do this Claire. I'll live your life, don't worry about living mine. Promise?"

"I…" she was tearing up now. He was giving up a long life just for her? "I love you so much."

Five words that were so soft and so inadequate for what she was feeling, but Skye just pulled her close again, and cradled her close to him. He would give up the world if it meant staying with her. This world, especially.

"I love you too, my sunshine."

The time drew closer. In the back of Claire's mind, a thought tickled.

"When this is over with, remind me to tell Ten-chan that I need her to pass on a couple of messages for me?" she murmured. "Gotz is going to need to expand the girls room… upwards, I guess. Time for a second story to the house maybe? And another crib…"

Skye chuckled, kissed her again, and nodded.

"We'll get through this," he promised, knowing full well what was on her mind. "And then we really _will_ sit around and discuss baby names."

It earned him a giggle and a sweet smile. Then Claire took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

"Be careful," he said, lightly cupping her cheek. His other hand went down to rest on her stomach. "Even a nick from that blade could kill you, or one of the babies."

She nodded, her own hands lightly resting on her stomach, as one of the three decided they wanted to move _right then_. Even in what could be mortal peril, the feel of a kicking baby brought a wide smile to both parent's faces.

Slowly, Skye released her, and made his way out of the room, placing a look of anger on his face. Claire waited a heart pounding five minutes, then slipped out of the room herself.

Now all they had to do was hope that Toshi took the bait.

* * *

Hotaru and Yukiko had both agreed to watch the children, not knowing the dangerous game that Claire and Skye would soon embark upon with their younger brother. They had been told simply that the pair had needed some alone time to talk about the babies, and the future.

Jamie and Lauren were, however, far too intelligent to _not_ notice that something was being planned. The stood a little ways off from the play-group, leaning against the railing.

"Do you think they're gonna be okay?" Laurie asked her twin as servants bustled on the paths beneath them. "I mean, there's nothing to that rumor, right?"

"Of course not," James patted her shoulder lightly. "Mom and Dad… they're tough, you know? I'm sure they must've figured out who got Grampa and are using it as bait. Besides, Uncle D's too much of a palace-guy, Mom would never love someone who didn't want to farm with her."

Lauren tipped her head slightly, then had to admit that Jamie had a point. There was nothing an no one that could break their parents apart.

"Just gotta trust em sis," he continued. "Just gotta trust em."

* * *

Toshihiro smirked to himself as he watched them leave their room. So the rumor had some merit to it, Claire was walking in one direction, looking nervous and uncertain, and Skye was going the other, looking almost hopping mad.

She was dressed prettily too, for a pregnant woman. Maybe he _wouldn't_ kill her, instead using her himself once she had given birth. After all, a smart woman like her would do _anything_ to keep Skye from learning the truth, wouldn't she?

He followed the blonde from a fair distance, just in case. Something about this seemed almost too easy, too simple. Just when he was trying to figure out how to remove Daisuke from the throne…

Ah, he was over thinking things. Once Daisuke died, there would be only _one_ male that would be able to rule Tranquility Palace, and that would be _him_. Not his brothers, but him, Toshihiro.

The thought made his smirk get even wider, and he closed the distance carefully as Claire entered the gardens. She was hurrying now, as best her pregnant body would let her.

Maybe he could cut her hair and keep it as a trophy to indicate his mercy…

* * *

Claire had felt his eyes upon her the second she had left the sanctuary of the room, and couldn't quite suppress the shiver that ran through her as she moved along the gravel pathway.

It helped to think that Skye and the others would be in position before her, and ready to step in the second he tried to hurt either of them. The binding spells, the trap, and the shield bracelets that Tsuyu had given her went a ways towards easing her mind as well.

But still she was uncertain, despite it all. She had time for a very heartfelt prayer to whatever god or goddess may have been listening to let them all get through this unscathed, and then she rounded the last corner.

She halted for a second at seeing Daisuke, who was clearly as ill-at-ease as she was, swallowed a couple of times, then made a half-hearted attempt as a casual walk. Her hands were trembling just slightly as adrenaline started rushing through her system.

As she mentally chanted at herself to not screw this up, Daisuke spotted her and shot to his feet, as if embarrassed to be caught sitting. Or as if she was his secret and he really _was_ excited to see her.

She looked over her shoulder a brief second, then hurried forward, into a one armed embrace.

"Is he here?" the words were low, almost inaudible even to her ears.

"Yes," she whispered back. "He wasn't too far behind, so he should be coming up in the next minute… or less."

"So staying like this?"

"Probably a good idea… keep whispering too, it'll give off… that impression."

Daisuke made a face, and despite the seriousness of the moment, Claire managed a weak grin.

"What to whisper about though?"

"Anything," She gave a light almost imperceptible half-shrug. "Hell, even babbling nonsense words at this point would probably trick him if he doesn't get too close."

"It's a little hard to get close in this place without anyone knowing…" and Daisuke's voice was dry. "It was the reason we picked it, remember?"

She giggled slightly, and winked. It didn't take Daisuke more than a second to pick up on the cue.

"You know how much trouble we'll be in if we get caught." His voice was low, but not as impossible to hear as his last words had been. "At least with this much open ground we'll be able to spot anyone easily."

"Yes," Claire agreed. Then she added, in a very low whisper, "Here he comes. Ready to get caught?"

"More than ready."

Daisuke hadn't liked hearing this part of the plan any more than Claire had liked saying it, and it had been the part that had made her grateful for Tsuyu's presence and understanding. With a faint sigh he leaned in, and made a great show of pretending to kiss her full on the mouth. In reality, he kissed her cheek, but from the direction that Toshi entered the area, it wasn't too obvious.

His triumphant laugh made the pair jump apart, both grateful for the interruption.

"I couldn't believe it," Toshi shook his head at the pair of them. "My elder brother and the so-obviously-devoted sister in law meeting up behind the backs of their spouses. And yet here is living proof!"

He already had the knife out, and Claire couldn't stop the shiver that went up her spine. It was exact, from the pale white leather wrapped handle, to the three nicks at the top right edge of the blade.

It was almost amazing how automatic it was for Daisuke to step forward and protect her. Toshihiro just smirked a little more as she followed his cue and cowered away from the weapon-wielding Prince.

"What do you want Toshi?" Daisuke's voice was calm.

"What should I do with this wonderful piece of information?" the younger prince smirked in a malicious manner. "You're not so important, Elder brother, I'll kill you here in a moment, but _Claire_…" Toshihiro's smirk got wider. "I'm sure you wouldn't want any news of this reaching my Eldest brother, now would you?"

Claire didn't say anything, just glared. The younger prince shrugged after a moment.

"Unusual that your tongue fails you _now_," he mocked. "If you're wise, you'll run away now, and _maybe_ I won't kill you the way I did those two Princesses."

"Try it if you can," she challenged. "You war-mongering _moron_."

Toshi's jaw dropped.

'What, you thought I was quiet because I was _scared_?! Not hardly," Claire's scorn was obvious, and the people in hiding had a hard time not snickering at the dumbfounded expression on Toshihiro's face. "Unfortunately for _you_, Toshi, _you're_ the one who's busted."

Several rustles made Toshi turn, and sure enough he was surrounded by too many people to avoid. Even Kaemon was there, a disapproving from on his face. The now-caught Prince whirled on his brother and the blonde, a sneer crossing his face.

"You can't stop me!"

He was fast, but Claire had anticipated this move. Without preamble she shoved Daisuke hard to the side, in time to avoid the gleaming blue glass-like blade. It bounced off the protections that Tsuyu had given her, shattering both items into fragments. In the next second while Toshi staggered to regain his balance, the pole of blue glass was out, and hit him directly in the chest. It sprang up into multiple blue wires, caging Toshihiro neatly as the guards, and Skye reached the side of Daisuke and Claire.

The blonde leaned gratefully into her husband's hold as Toshi started ranting in the language of the People, only to be silenced when Akio held out a rainbow-hued crystal.

"Toshihiro, for your crimes, it has been decided that you will be stripped of your immortality, in front of witnesses of Vapors and Moisture Palace, to end the threat of war which you caused."

He made a gesture, and the twenty-some guards lifted the cage and Toshihiro, taking him from the grounds. Once he was gone, a sigh of relief was released by all present, and everyone seemed to sag.

"So that's it then?" Claire asked quietly. "What happens when he's stripped of immortality?"

"It's not something you should see," Skye replied. "Trust me love, you really do not want to know what will happen."

She thought about it for a moment, then turned slightly pale.

"You're right, I _don't_ want to think about it…"

* * *

_It's over. Finally everything is _over_. Kaemon and Akio sent out the notices that Toshihiro has been caught to the Palaces who need to witness his… death by aging—I don't even want to think about the details of that—yesterday, so they'll all be here by the eighteenth._

_I'm _exhausted_… Miharu says that after this I'm not allowed _any_ strenuous activity. I'm not going to argue either, I nearly fell over when Toshi hit the barrier spell and shattered it._

_Sleep…. Good idea. The rest of the story can wait._


	47. January 19, Winter, Year 36

**January 19, Winter, year 36**

_Toshi's execution was today. Initially it wasn't going to be that, but from what I heard, people were in a bit of a panic about him regaining memories during his banishment and coming for revenge._

_It's sad. Toshi just wanted recognition and love. _

_On top of that, Tsukiko wants us to come to the throne room. I wonder what she wants…_

_

* * *

_

Claire settled the pen in the notebook, and tucked her hair out of her eyes with a tired sigh. She really wasn't looking forward to all those eyes staring at her again, but Tsukiko had actually… well, _asked_. Not ordered.

If only it wasn't in front of a court… But wasn't that the way with rewards? Claire didn't know, she wanted nothing more than to rest, and keep resting until she had the triplets. And then take her whole family and go home, where she wouldn't have to deal with intrigue and plots.

The door slid open softly, and Skye stepped quietly in, taking a good long look at Claire as she lay on the large bed. She looked so tired, so vulnerable, and _almost_ he decided that they didn't need to do this publicly.

And then she looked up, and gave him a fond, sweet smile, and slid carefully from the bed and blankets, reaching for him. He reached back, and carefully leaned in to give her a quick peck on the lips.

"Mother promises to make this take as little time as possible," he cupped her cheek gently, "but are you certain you wish to go?"

"It's me she wants to reward," Claire chuckled. "Besides, if it's done and over with, then I don't have to worry about anything other than living long enough to get these new children into the world!"

He smiled down at her, gently resting his cheek on her head. After a long, peaceful minute, Skye pulled back, and gave her a very courtly bow, which made his wife giggle at him.

"Then if you are ready my lady," his sea-green eyes glittered with humor, "we shall be off."

"Oh course, good sir," she laced her arm through his, continuing the joke. "Let us be off!"

* * *

It was just the two of them making the trek down the throne room. Despite the kids having wanted to, Skye had gently but firmly told them that it was an adult manner, and they would hear all about it when he and Claire returned. Mirei had protested the most vocally, but the appearance of Hoshiko, Yukiko and a bunch of treats had silenced her.

Claire hadn't exactly dressed for the occasion, but it was common knowledge that she was carrying an unprecedented amount of children, and so the stir upon their entrance was much less than it could have been, and the slow walk was less an affront to the former Queen than it would have been otherwise.

The stopped before the dais, and Skye gave his mother a polite bow. Claire simply nodded slightly; she still didn't like or trust Tsukiko, even after all of this. Her blindness and stubborn attitude had fooled her into believing that her son could do no wrong.

"You have aided us in removing a threat from our kingdom," Tsukiko's voice was cool and in control, the robes she was wearing certainly aiding in that. "We will grant you a request, and we… acknowledge your marriage to our son."

Claire just closed her eyes tiredly as the whispering began again. It was one thing to offer a boon to the person who had figured out and orchestrated the capture of the rogue prince, but to acknowledge a commoner marriage to a prince?

"I don't want anything," she said when the whispering and comments finally silenced. "But thanks. Skye?"

Startled silence reigned this time, and Skye stepped forward.

"Mother," his voice was calm, "I wish to renounce my immortality."

There weren't whispers this time, there were shouts and startled exclamations. He waited them out with a calm dignity, wrapping an arm around his wife. His hand, she noticed, was cold, and shaking just the slightest bit. Claire rested her head against his shoulder and her arm tucked around his waist as well.

"I have already given up the throne in favor of Daisuke," Skye raised his voice to be heard over the babbling and they quieted, "and I would like to return to the life I have learned to love. I do not want to watch my family grow old alone."

He stepped up onto the dais, pulling Claire along with him, and turned so that he could face the assembled Moon People. They quieted more as he took on a regal bearing that he had rarely used, even when playing the King.

"I have chosen a short life with the one I love, instead of a long life of wandering the world. In this life I have no need for the immortality that is both our blessing and our curse. All I need is standing right next to me."

Claire smiled warmly, blushing just a little bit. Skye certainly was turning on the charm, and it was a little amusing to watch various silver heads in the congregation nod slowly. Understanding rippled through the crowd, and Skye let out a very soft sigh of relief, before turning to his mother.

"Well, mother?"

Queen Tsukiko stood slowly, and reached out to touch her oldest son's face.

"So be it, my son," she nodded. "So be it."

Skye took a slight step away from Claire; this was strong magic and he didn't want it to have any sort of affect on her or the babies. Rainbow ripples seemed to form around the Queen and her son, and even Claire was awestruck by the magic.

One the hand dropped, the rainbow's exploded, scattering across the throne room for several long minutes before fading away into wisps and then into nothingness. Skye let out a soft sigh of relief, and wrapped his arms around his wife again, resting his head against her golden hair.

She hugged him back, and smiled fondly. Queen Tsukiko settled back into her chair with what could almost have been a sad sigh.

"We will miss our oldest son, but we are… proud of his choice."

She gave a regal nod, and the couple walked slowly down the carpet and out of the throne room.

* * *

_That's it then. Now all I have to do is wait for the babies to be born, and get a little stronger… and then we can all go home._

_Home… I can hardly wait._


	48. Februay 11, Winter, Year 36

**February 11, Winter, year 36**

_I really dislike the waiting…_

* * *

Skye paced the floor, having been tossed out of the healer's chambers by no one less than Miharu, along with the children who were in various stages of anxiety, despite the early hour of the morning.

Probably the most aggravating thing was the he couldn't hear anything through the door, so he had no idea if it was safe to stick his head in. Sure Claire tended to have easy births, but there were exceptions to everything.

So he paced, having nothing better to do. Lauren played pretend with Mirei, Alan and Meredith slept on another bench, and Jamie read a book, glancing up from time to time in amusement at his father's antics.

Once Skye caught the look, and smiled a bit.

"Just wait til _you_ become a father," the silver-haired man retorted. "See how anxious _you_ get over the birth of your first child."

That killed the amused looks quickly, as Jamie blushed a bright red and buried his head in his book. Lauren laughed, privately glad that she didn't intend to ever have children the natural way. If it came down to it, she'd cheerfully adopt.

Mirei, not following a word of it—she was almost asleep again at this point, despite playing with her sister—just blinked and shrugged. She was willing to bet it would be another one of those 'When you're older' things.

* * *

"Breathe Claire."

"I _am! _Nnng."

"No, don't push! Not yet!"

"This _isn't_ fun_!_"

* * *

By the time Miharu came out, a crowd had gathered. Skye had been joined by almost all his siblings—Daisuke and Tsuyu were at Court, otherwise they would have been there too—Tenshi, and several other people that Claire had made friends with over the past eight months.

She looked at all of them and frowned.

"You're not _all_ going in there at once," she said sternly, propping her hands on her hips.

Glances were exchanged, and several shoulders slumped in resignation. Miharu's word in the healer's section beat even the word of Prince's and Princess's. Jamie and Lauren got up eagerly, wanting to see their mother and the new siblings. Skye was already there and waiting, his own anxiety plain to see.

Miharu shot glances to the rest that said if they didn't wait they'd regret it, then let the trio into the room. Claire was laying down in her bed, face pale and covered with sweat, asleep, but clearly happy. Next to the bed in bassinets on stands, were the three newborn babies. A glowing field of magic—Miharu's protection because the trio were several weeks premature—surrounded the bassinets, translucent enough to see through.

Two babies were swaddled in pink, one in blue, and Lauren grinned a little.

"Looks like the girl's side of the family outnumbers the boys permanently," she quietly teased her brother.

He elbowed her, rolling his eyes. Skye just chuckled lightly as Miharu stepped in quietly.

"She told me of the name preferences the pair of you chose," the healer's voice was also quiet. "And seemed to be quite fond of Lucien for the boy, and Selene and Luna for the two girls She wanted me to make sure that it was alright with you."

"Those are... perfect. Any idea who's going to take after whom?" Skye couldn't help asking.

Miharu rolled her eyes, amused despite herself.

"You've been a father _how_ long?" she reproved him gently. "Now shoo, the rest of them are getting restless. She'll remain here for a few weeks, I had to open her up to retrieve them safely."

"We'll visit," Skye promised, even as Miharu ushered them out.

"Oh believe me, I know that you will."

* * *

_All healthy, if premature. For now at least. Miharu says that she does not foresee any problems, but she would be safe rather than sorry, so neither my love nor the babies will be leaving the infirmary for at least two weeks._

_I hope I will at least be allowed to give Claire some Valentine's day chocolates…_

_Ah, her birthday will happen before Miharu officially releases any of them! I wonder if maybe I can't convince her to let them out early some how? I shall think on this for a while, until I'm allowed back in to see Claire._


	49. February 14, Winter, Year 36

**February 14, Winter, Year 36**

Claire is insisting that I write more about the time before I met her, and if I must, I can even use up the remaining pages of the journal. I think I will _not_, but it will do no harm to humor her.

She is doing well at least, improving every day. She chafes at the restrictions Miharu has her under, wishing to be up and about the way she was after the first time. Never mind that the only reason she was allowed up so soon was because she refused to listen to Elli about precautions and ended up making herself ill. It makes me very glad that Miharu has managed to enforce her restrictions.

Though I did get Miharu to say that she would allow Claire and the new little ones out on her birthday _Only_ for that day, and if any of them get over-tried or appear unhappy, we are supposed to return immediately.

My Claire complains, but I think she is a little glad that Miharu is tougher and more stubborn than herself. She may claim to feel better, but I have seen how she winces when she moves very much.

She sleeps a great deal more as well, but that is only to be expected. Dealing with three is a bit more difficult than dealing with two. I believe, in fact, that she sleeps when they do, which is what she is doing now.

It is so… wonderful to see her face, even her resting face. There is that beautiful glow of love around her, for all of us and the new little ones. And soon enough I shall be able to help her, instead of Miharu, in the care and feeding of Lucien, Selene and Luna.

Miharu informed me that I have about the same living time as my wife now, another ninety or so years. Her lifespan has been lengthened by… as Miharu puts it, receiving my DNA through the umbilical cord of our children, but it still falls well within human parameters. And I do not regret it; as I said in the throne room I would rather a short life with the ones that I love than a long life without them. The children will be long-lived, but I think they will enjoy it as all young ones do. At least one hundred fifty years for each of them, and I wish them love and happiness for all of it.

Hmm… another story?

Let me see. I suppose the one where I turned thief to survive would take up some time and pages.

About two years after Annette was KIA, I returned to wandering, simply because I didn't have the means to pay the rent. In staying those extra years I had been forced to take the remaining jewelry to an appraiser and sell it piece by piece. I had swiftly learned the concept of bills and the fact of not paying them meant that what I needed would get shut of in short order.

After I left that apartment I began to look around for a restaurant that would allow me to remain and study cooking. I tried many a place, working as a busboy for several different restaurants until I became fed up with trying to get either a raise in pay or position.

Do keep in mind that I was still slightly spoiled and foolish, so I kept expecting them to see how wonderful I was within days of being hired and quit in frustration before anyone truly got the chance to know me.

So inevitably it was indeed my own foolish fault.

But I digress. I left that town and went to another, and another after that, all out of range of Goddess Ponds. The new towns I visited were less friendly to strangers and many shunned me. I could find no place to employ myself, and was in danger of starving indeed, when I happened to pass by a thrift store with a television in the window. It was playing a movie about a handsome thief, who could steal even the stars from the sky.

I was hungry, and desperate, so I did the only thing I could think of. I emulated the thief. I crept into an unguarded supermarket and stole food from the shelves, to save myself from dying.

I was caught, as you may surmise, and that was the first time I used my paralyzing spell on a group of people to keep from being caught. I quickly left that town, it was small and I was the only Person there.

It started small, food here and there. Then small treasures liberated from someone's pocket. I'm not quite sure when it evolved into my sending notices, or my reputation becoming quite so wide-spread, but it happened. I soon began looking into disguises so that I could steal and yet remain in the same town a while longer.

I romanced many a young woman into letting me go as well. All of them were susceptible to the empty words of flattery, so it wasn't difficult.

…if she sees that she really _will_ smack me. And I do not think that the Valentine's chocolate I have for her will make up for the arrogance in that remark.

But it _was_ quite easy… I regret some of it now, and I do find myself wondering if perhaps some of those girls suffered because of my arrogance and pride. I wish I could say I remember some of them… but only my Claire was ever strong enough to put an impression on me, to make me keep returning to see her.

And that may get me a kiss, so perhaps this all evens out?

Ah I hear a fussing child. Which means the other two won't be sleeping much longer, and by proxy neither will Claire.

I do hope she enjoys these chocolates and the news that she will be leaving this place for her birthday. I know she is tired of the confinement.


	50. February 23, Winter, year 37

**February 23, Winter, year 37**

__My goodness, happy birthday to me! It was _so_ wonderful to be able to stretch my legs at last, even if it wasn't for very long. Still a few hours was more than enough to return my patience and willingness to rest.

I was very grateful that Daisuke promised he wouldn't throw me a big feast-party like they normally did. I don't think I'd be able to handle something like that, not at the strength and energy level I have now.

The babies were staring in awe at everything. It was so cute! I can already tell them apart. Selene is Meri, only reversed! She has blonde bangs—thought I suppose it's too early to call them bangs, isn't it?—and the rest of her hair is silver. Her left eye is blue and her right eye is green.

Luna has pure silver hair, like Jamie's, and Skye's eyes. She's Skye in miniature, and female! But then Lucian is a male mini-me, so I guess it all works out, doesn't it?

I got some of the best news I've had in the longest while though… We'll be allowed to go _home_ at the end of the month!

Ten-chan passed on all my messages—I can't believe I completely forgot to mention these things—and so my house has once again been modified. I think I'll give Lauren and Mirei the upstairs of the girl's room, I'm fairly sure that by the time Meredith wants to join them that Lauren will be at that college in the City for clothing. And until they're weaned the babies will be sleeping with Skye and myself.

Which reminds me that I'll have to get a bunkbed for the boy's room, else there will _never_ be enough room.

I could probably redo the curtains and flooring in the downstairs of the girl's room too, goodness knows that after sixteen—almost seventeen now—years it certainly needs it.

Oh, and I have been plied with presents! Hee.

Lauren found me a simple gold bracelet in their room, Kaemon gave leave for Jamie to give me a couple of books of fairytales, Tsuyu gave me a _beautiful_ sculpture—I think it's made of _diamond!_—Daisuke said I could raid the proverbial linen closet for fabrics before I went home, Hotaru presented me with winged kittens—a litter of five, this will be interesting to explain to everyone back home. Meri's Pegasus, and now these little guys… Ah well, they're too adorable to refuse!—Yukiko gave me a locket with a picture of all my children and my husband on one side, and all of them on the other, and Hoshiko and Yue worked together to collect plant seeds for me!

Miharu gave me a tome of healing magic, she promises she doesn't need it, and Ten-chan brought me birthday wishes, messages, and presents from home. And other people dropped by my 'sickroom' to drop off even_ more_!

I mean, I understand I made a favorable impression, but all this? It's so impressive and overwhelming that I still don't know what all to say.

Skye added a diamond to our pendants, so we now have two. He then promptly made me earrings to go with! I _glittered_ today!

I'm already trying to decide which fabrics I want to bring with me when I go home. Definitely the cloth of gold and silver, I want some of the gauze that sparkles in the sunlight, hmm… Maybe some of the darker colors, that had gilt threads shot through them. It made quite the impression, and I could maybe use them in some new clothes for my kids as well as Skye and me.

Now that I'm leaving, I'm actually a little bit sad. Alan has been going around taking as many pictures as he possibly can, with Jamie in tow because Jamie's hands are steadier with the camera.

Tsukiko hasn't changed any. Despite accepting Skye's choices, she still does her best to ignore me, only talking to me when she has to. I suppose I can't blame her, I exposed Toshi, _and_ stole Skye from her. Besides which, talking to her is like talking to a brick wall. It just doesn't work.

Bah, I'm working myself up when I should be resting, properly speaking. But I don't get the time to sit and write anymore, so I'm going to use it while I can.

Getting back to the babies, they're well… _babies!_ They eat, sleep and take dumps. And shred my sleeping pattern. I think Uncle Tak will still be hiring Harvest Sprites for a few months until they have a better sleeping rhythm.

Admittedly judging by his note he just wants me _back_, so I guess he won't begrudge his new nieces and nephew. Hehehe.

Mmmm…. Ack! I just got _landed_ on by one of the kittens! If the babies aren't awake, these little guys and girls certainly are. They seem to follow the usual colorings of normal kitties—we've got orange and silver tabbies! So cute!—other than the wings. Every kitten has wings that are an odd, bright orange. But Hotaru promises that the color will change as they get older, to match their fur.

I'm a little worried about how my house-and-farm kitties will take the newcomers. I hope they don't handle it too badly. Not to mention we're probably going to have a severe depopulation of the birds this coming year. But I can't keep flying creatures inside, it just… wouldn't be right.

Ah, I can't _wait_ to get home! Even if I can't work in the earth yet, just being home, smelling the sea breeze, the grass, the rain… Seeing the sunrise of home will be _wonderful_. And seeing everyone else will be like heaven. All my friends and family…

I can hardly wait!

Ah, I hear a fussy Lucien! Better hurry and tend him before he wa—never mind, there goes Selene… and Luna.

Ah, children…. Haha!


	51. February 30, Winter, year 37

**February 30, Winter, year 37**

_Homeward, homeward, homeward we go!_

_

* * *

_

Claire was practically dancing as they packed. Even the children arguing about which trinket or toy went in whose suitcase couldn't bring her mood down, and her cheerfulness was catching. Squabbles turned into amiable disagreements, turned into good-natured teasing.

There were more bags than when they'd arrived. Everyone had gifts and other items to take along on the trip home. Not to mention the live, flying animals. Claire had been forced to take from Alan the flying frog he'd wanted to keep, knowing full well that he'd only use it to cause problems at home, and he'd complained for a while until he was reminded that it would be full spring tomorrow, which meant more bugs and things to catch.

After that he happily bounced back to his packing. Every so often as they worked in cleaning up the room, someone would start humming a song, and then someone would add in the lyrics, and before anyone really knew what was happening, music was echoing through both rooms.

And for the most part, the babies slept right through it. When they cried for food or changing or just because, there was a temporary halt in packing so that the trio could get the attention needed.

The closet was cleaned out—Claire liked the fabric and wanted to turn it into some more useful types of clothing—the toys were packed away, the baby-presents were tucked away in a sack all their own, the winged cats were in a large covered basket, Meri's Pegasus was waiting for them at the portal area…

Claire let out a long, pleased sigh. At last. At last everything was coming to an end. Soon enough she would be back where she belonged, and after that rooting around in the good, rich earth that she loved so much.

Skye looked up, and chuckled softly.

"Ready to go home?" he asked, sipping his suitcase closed.

Claire's grin was bright.

"You know it!" she chirped. "Me and everyone else, I do believe. No?"

"Yes."

* * *

It wasn't too surprising to learn that they wouldn't be getting home until about midnight. What _was_ surprising were the promises of visits and letters, the hugs and the tears.

Eventually Claire had to pass off the babies to Lauren and Jamie as she received hug after hug from the People she had gotten to know and enjoy the company of in the past months.

"We'll visit," Tsuyu promised. "One of these festival days, you'll see."

The blonde grinned.

"I'll be careful," she teased.

Kaemon and Daisuke laughed, and even Akio cracked a smile at the joke. Tsuyu, Akahari and Haruka all laughed as well, embracing Claire in a three-way hug.

Skye received—gentle for he was holding Lucien—claps on the back, and several brother-hugs.

"Keep in better contact this time," Daisuke grinned. "Mother will be very disappointed if you don't, and from what I've heard she's started picking and choosing through eligible bachelors to marry off Hotaru-chan and Yuki-chan."

Skye shook his head.

"Mother will be fighting an uphill battle there, I think," her replied wryly.

With Claire's influence, both women had been getting their backbones back. Yukiko's pranks were becoming more frequent, and Hotaru's vanishing from the palace was more and more frequent.

"I'll try to keep her at a minimum," Daisuke promised both his bother and his sisters. "I want my family to be well, not miserable."

Skye clapped his younger brother on the shoulder with a warm smile.

"Good. Let them be themselves, and start enacting those changes. It's time the People moved forward instead of stagnating."

Claire grinned at that last remark, and claimed her husband's free arm contentedly, pulling him away at last.

"Come on silly, we can't leave without you, you know," her eyes glittered with mirth. "Let's go home!"

* * *

The entire village and then some were there to greet them once they touched down on good old earth. Jill, carrying her own twins, and Jack with Eve and their new baby girl, were at the forefront of the line to hug the blonde farmer, and soon enough everyone was inside a sea of loving, familiar, and most importantly _friendly_ faces.

Melissa glomped tight to Lauren's arm, and refused to let go, even when Lauren jokingly attempted to pull her arm free. She didn't really mind, she had missed Mel almost as much. In the back of her mind was the mental note that soon she would have to come clean to her Mom… And somehow this worried her less than it had at first.

Sharron shyly greeted Jamie, and he was the exuberant one this time, for a moment forgetting his embarrassment and picking her up in a hug. Following the hug he endured good-natured ribbing from his cousins Robert and Max, blushing but happy.

Alan, Mirei and Meredith were dog-piled by their cousins and friends, all babbling questions about the Pegasus, the Palaces of the Moon, the journey, the People themselves…

Skye smiled, watching as everyone was absorbed into the commotion. This was how it was supposed to be. Bright, cheery, and full of love and laughter. Maybe though example they could show the People of the Moon how life was _really_ supposed to be lived.

Naturally, none of them got home until near six in the morning. Skye stabled the Pegasus, whom Meri called Butterball, as everyone else made their ways into the newly remodeled house.

No one was for sleep beyond Claire and the babies though. They had finally come home, it was time to get back to work.


	52. Afterward

_**-Afterward-**_

_James_: Jamie married Sharon, Marlin's oldest daughter, and took over that farm. They had five children. Three girls—Amber, Gina, and Dia—and two boys, Kurt and Joe.

_Lauren_: After coming clean about her orientation, and receiving her parent's blessing, Lauren pursued a relationship with Melissa. Eventually the pair left for Ming City, and through Gustafa's influence broke into the music business. They adopted two girls Sierra and Sunshine.

_Alan_: Pursuing his love of bugs and plants, Alan eventually became an explorer, always wanting to learn more. On his travels he met and eventually married Clara. They visit every summer, until Clara decides to settle in the Valley and raise their two daughters, Alexis and Daviana.

_Mirei_: Following somewhat in her mother's footsteps, Mirei learned how to heal, and took classes on midwifery from Elli. She moved to Flowerbud village to give the midwife there a younger pair of hands, and eventually married the apprentice baker, a young man named Chase. Their son is named Amadeus.

_Meredith_: A farmer at heart, this girl stayed on the Sunshine Ranch, and happily worked the land. She married Trent's son Jericho, and had four children, two boys and two girls. Leah, Bella, Mike, and Carl.

_Selene_: An animal enthusiast, Selene married Rick's younger son, Thomas, and between them they run the two animal ranches. They have four children also, three girls—Rose, Iris and Lily—and a song, Briar. Briar and Rose are twins, and after a childhood accident left Rose blind, he has always looked out for her.

_Luna_: Moving to Mineral Town gave this clever trader access to imports from Ming City, in order to pass them on to the Moon People. She eventually marries a young Moon person named Hatano, and they have to daughters and a son; Liara, Hikari, and Kyle

_Lucien_: Showing an interest in art, Lucien eventually becomes a wander painter, returning every winter to the Valley to see his family. Though he never marries, he eventually adopts two earth boys, Brian and Calvin, and a Moon boy, Hiroshi

_Claire and Skye_: Both work the farm with various levels of aid until their deaths, and are highly regarded as one of the most welcoming families of the entire island. They both die easily in their sleep, within moments of each other.


End file.
